Memoirs of A Missing-nin
by KitHonoka62
Summary: Reality is such a wonderful wake up call.
1. Summary

Reality is such a wonderful wake up call. The places you never expected to exist. The people you'd only dreamt of meeting. The events of tomorrow having already passed in your present. Was my reality their illusion? Was their illusion my reality? I haven't been sure for the past 20 years.

I never did like the path my 'other life' as I liked to refer to it, was going. With my father gone, an abusive stepmother and a spoiled, wretched sister, things weren't looking up. But then I found myself here, and even through all the turmoil, all the danger, all the fear, all the hardship and life threatening situations I've endured while being here, I've never wanted to go back. Nothing was for me there. Here, I found a clean slate. A home. Friends. A purpose. Here I found a happy life.

Mine is a story that probably should not be told. Even as an outsider, I was hated as missing nin. As a traitor. As the enemy. Like the one I followed, I was wanted in almost every country. I had no regrets however. Well, no regrets when it came to him. Never when it came to him. He was the one I turned to. My leader. My solace.

We were despised. Looked down upon. Hated for our crimes and I have to admit, everyone had every right to hate us. However, despite all this loathing, I feel the need to write what it felt like to live the life that we did, for not many know what really goes on in the obscure world of a rogue ninja.

I can only hope that by reading this, people can better understand us and the paths we have chosen. And I hope they know that our were and are not based on evil ill intent, but loneliness, fear and most of all: pain.


	2. Chapter 1

It all began when I fell into that goddamned open grave I so easily failed to see as I stumbled through the cemetery, too drunk out of my mind to pay attention to where I was going. My mind was spinning and so was my vision, even as I fell.

I knew, in the back of my mind that I was falling, but my mind's drunken stupor made it feel not only like forever, but also like I was floating on air. That is, until I slammed into the watery mush that I thought was the bottom the grave, but when I opened my eyes a dark sky looked back me, vast and riddled with twinkling stars.

I blinked a few times, realizing I was now stone cold sober, my mind fresh and clear. It was like the foggy glass had been wiped clean.

I looked around. This definitely was not the dark, enclosed space of an open grave. This was some kind of marshy wasteland. No building stood in sight and I began to feel that odd sensation of panic sweep through my stomach.

Where the hell was I? The back of my blue skinny jeans and black jacket I had on over a pink tank top was soaking wet as was the back of my head. My breathing became ragged as an icy wind chilled me. I wrapped my arms around myself but it did little in warding off the cold.

I looked around before walking, I didn't have any idea where I was going, but I had to find out where I was. I felt helpless, confused and lost as I wandered aimlessly in the marshes that seemed to span forever. I gritted my teeth against the cold wind and kept going.

Where am I? Where am I going? Is this a dream? What do I do?

These questions ran a marathon through my head as I walked and walked and walked.

Finally, I stopped under a small grove of sickly trees, trying desperately to warm up but the temperature just kept dropping.

I sat there, so confused, so lonely, so cold. It all seemed to happen so fast. The fall, my walk, finding this pathetic excuse for trees. My thoughts drifting to the trees that sheltered me, I looked up at the barren branches. The bark was dark and rough and the trunks were thin and sickly. Suddenly I felt a lump in my throat. Seeing them standing there, so alone, all huddled their little group, painfully exposed to the elements, having to face it all by themselves.

There were no other trees that I could see. These three were the only ones. They were outcasts, misfits. Just like me.

I didn't know how much time passed like that while I thought about my poor, poor trees, but I froze when I heard the sound of sloshy footsteps behind me and a soft voice whisper:

"Well what have we here?"

I turned my head to see a man staring back at me, a grin on his face. His hair was the oddest color. It was silver and it was pulled back into a loose ponytail. He had pail skin and wore glasses. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place where I had seen him before. How could that have even been possible? I was still convinced this was all just a dream. The fall had knocked me out and now I was stuck in this odd vision.

"Who are you, and how exactly did you get across the border?" He asked, the grin never leaving his face, still peaking in that soft, kind whisper., but I could hear just faintest trace of malice underlining his tone.

"I uh…I don't know how I got here. I just kind of…fell in." I replied in a shaky voice. My voice actually spoke on its own, I was far too scared to talk.

"Well now did you? And your name my darling?" He asked lifting his hand and pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose.

"I..uh…My…Dante. Dante Chadwick." I told. Cursing at myself internally for involuntarily speaking to this creepy stranger.

"Can you tell me where I am?" I asked, suddenly as the question ran across my mind again.

"Why, you're in Otogakure." He replied and my eyes widened.

"You mean…Like Hidden Sound?" I asked, unable to believe my ears.

He nodded. "Yes. Hidden Sound."

I was taken aback. Hidden Sound? Then that meant I was….in the place I had been wishing I could go for the past four years…

The Naruto World.

"Naruto?" He asked, straightening and putting one hand on his hip after he heard my thoughts spoken aloud. "You're from the Hidden Leaf aren't you?"

I turned my gaze back to him and immediately threw my arms up in front of my face, deathly afraid that he'd attack. "No! No I'm not I swear!" I yelled

I could hear him take a few steps until he was inches from me, and put his hand one hand on each of my arms, removing them from in front of me and stared into my eyes.

After searching my eyes he stepped back and evaluated my outfit, at which he raised an eyebrow.

"You certainly are not from any place I've seen." He said.

As I shook my head vigorously, he brought his eyes back up to my own and smiled. "Even I don't find you a threat, why don't I take you back to the lair, and we'll see if Orochimaru-sama thinks."

Finally, fear gripped my stomach and I began to shake.

"N-no, I don't want to go there." I said. I knew what they did. I knew what kind of sick, gruesome events went on down in those tunnels.

Obviously seeing my terrified reaction, he spoke again. "It's alright, he's not going to hurt you and neither am I." He said.

"You're lying." I knew he was, I don't know how, but I just knew that he was lying right through this teeth.

"You're going to take me down in those tunnels and you're going to do all kinds of experiments on me and I'm never going to come back up." I said, and instantly regretted it.

His smile disappeared and his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"And just how do you know all of that?" He asked. "Nobodies lived long enough after crossing the border to know any of that. Who is your resource.?"

My resource? Could I tell him my resource was my TV and a manga series? He'd never believe me. Never.

"I…I have…special abilites. I can see things that have happened and that are going to happen just by stepping into a place." I lied. It was technically true. If I had stepped into Konoha I'd know of all the events that had happened there and that it'd eventually be destroyed and then brought back by Pain.

His eyebrows raised and his eyes twinkled. "Is that so?" He asked.

"Well, in that case, I'm definitely going to have to take you to Orochimaru-sama, someone like you could be very useful. And don't worry, we'd never dream of experimenting on someone with such abilities." He told me.

Did I have any other choice but to follow him? No. If I stayed out here I'd freeze to death or die from starvation. I clenched my jaw, and pursed my lips before nodding.

His smile returned and he began walking in the same direction I was going. "This way."

I hesitated a second before following and glancing back at my miserable little group of trees, bidding them farewell with prayer that they would be okay.

Upon arriving, I was taken to a bath house and told to bathe.

"We can't have you looking like that when you see him. You need to be presentable." He said, handing me a folded set of clothes. My eyes narrowed at them. They were ninja's clothes and there was also a headband.

"The Land of Lightning?" I asked, glancing at his reflection in the shining steel of the black forehead protector.

His lips tilted up in a smirk.

"Oh yes. If you went around in those clothes people would start asking questions." He answered.

"But…I'm not a ninja. Not even remotely." I protested.

His dastardly smirk widened. "Oh my dear, but you are. I can sense your chakra. I can also tell, by the crackling feeling its giving me, that you're definitely a Raiton wielder. So I figured the Lightning headband was appropriate." He told me.

I just stared at him. Chakra? Raiton? How in the world could I be a ninja? It just wasn't possible. I was from the real world where ninja only existed in Japan, and they weren't nearly on the level of these ninja…But this wasn't my world. These weren't my people. This wasn't even in the same dimension. The same rules didn't apply here. I wasn't Dante Chadwick anymore. I could become anyone. The whole existence of chakra in my body changed everything. I was still very unconvinced that any of this was real, but I decided to take advantage of the sudden situation and go with it. I had been dreaming of an escape from my life in the real world and here it was, even if it was only a dream, I was going to make it last as long as I could.

Before he stepped out into the hall and closed the doors, I stopped him.

"What's your name?" I asked.

The light reflected off his lenses so I couldn't see his eyes and the light grin he held faded. "Kabuto." He said, and closed the doors.

I didn't know how long I had, so after I scrubbed all the dirt and dried mud off my body, and washed it out of my hair, I leaned against the deep purple tiles of the large bath that looked more like a bubbling pool then anything else, and thought about my situation.

This was definitely a dream, things like this just didn't happen to people. I had been drunk when I fell in the grave and this was the result. I wasn't sure how long it'd last but I was going to make it last as I was possibly was able. Here was a place I could make something of myself, where I could find purpose, even if it was with the enemy.

I knew what was going to happen to Orochimaru, and Kabuto so I didn't really worry about them, I just had to work on not telling them enough for them to stop or alter things before they happened and the results of that could become very bad.

I'd just gain their trust by telling them things they've done in their past, and then telling them what they wanted to hear. I know, it sounded manipulative and conniving, but come on, we were talking about Orochimaru. The man didn't need to read the book on how to manipulate and control people, he fucking wrote it, so I wasn't feeling too bad.

In fact, despite my heavy unbelief in all of this, I was rather excited. Because I landed here, and was probably going to be at Orochimaru's side most of the time, I was bound to run into a boy who happened to be my very favorite character back home when all of this was just a fantasy to me.

Uchiha Sasuke.

I was hoping he wouldn't be quite so cold and cynical as he was in the show, but so far things were looking the same at least with Kabuto so I had my doubts about that thought. There was just something about Sasuke that caught my eye and put a lump in my throat. The poor guy was a walking tragedy and not to mention he was the king of self-inflicted drama. He had been though so much pain and suffering.

I hadn't had such an easy life either. Except my experience was anything like his own, well at least the revenge part.

When I was seven, my parents had fallen victim to serial killer. His name was Marcus Torque and he was the only I had ever truly hated. He was a sadist, and tortured them before killing them. He tortured me too, but not like he did them. He had made shallow cuts all over my body, but that was it.

Them, what he did to them while I sat there and watched was something I hated to think about. He hadn't used a knife as he did on me. He used scissors and he cut through their skin like paper.

I shuddered, I didn't want to think about this. The nightmares would probably come back, but that was a given and I had somewhat gotten used to them.

In the beginning, I hadn't wanted him dead as they had sentenced himat his trial. In my opinion killing him was the easy way out, it was what he wanted, and I didn't want to give him what he wanted. I wanted him to suffer as much as he had made my parents and I suffer. I wanted them to throw him somewhere where I'd never have to see him again, and let him rot.

But alas, my wishes were not to be so. After my testimony they sentenced him to 85 years in prison with no chance of parole with the addition of the death sentence. So in actuality, he was going to rot and I'd never have to see him again.

My mood ruined, I stepped out of the bath and dried off, slipping into the provided clothes.

As I expected they were incredibly comfortable. I had on short black shorts, a black tank top that ended at my diaphragm, black knee high boots that were in same fashion as Sasuke's although mine had a about a two inch heel with ridges underneath for better traction. Deep blue, (the same color as Sasuke's pants) footless stockings were under the boots, and they ended at my mid thigh, well on my right leg. On my left leg, a kunai case and bandages covered the skin between my shorts and stockings.

Finally to top it all off, I wore a white long-sleeved shirt. The zipper started a few inches below my collar bones and ended just below my diaphragm so that it was open, exposing my stomach. Also, it was longer, ending just above my knees.

It was probably typical sound attire as the color schemes were the same. As I combed out my towel-dried hair, I realized the outfit was missing something. The purple rope. I frowned and shrugged, I didn't really like the ropes anyways.

After my naturally straight hair was nearly dry, except for the ends, I took the headband in my hands and examined it. It looked brand new, no dents, no scratches. The metal was perfectly flawless. It was like a clean slate, a fresh start.

I frowned and decided to make my first scratch, my first imprint. I took one of the kunai in the kunai case, kind of surprised at its weight, and quickly swiped it across the headbands clean metal surface...

Right through the symbol of the cloud


	3. Chapter 2

I stared at the scratch. I wasn't doing it because I thought it looked cool, I was doing it because it symbolized what I was now involved with.

I hadn't landed in the nice, safe forests of Konoha, or in dusty bowl that was the Sand Village. I had landed here, and this was going to be my home.

I went to put it around my head, but stopped and decided to tie it around my waist so that the metal rested on my left hip.

Satisfied with my appearance. I stepped out into the hall, my shoes making that familiar 'tak' noise as I walked.

Well what was I supposed to do now? Kabuto wasn't anywhere to be seen and I didn't really want to start wandering around because these tunnels were probably a labyrinth, but I didn't want to just stand there either.

So I began walking to my right, the torches dimly lighting the corridors. Doors lined each side, and I didn't want to open any of the for fear of what I find on the other side.

"Dante, what are you doing?" Kabuto's voice asked behind me. I spun around to face him, mild surprise on my face.

"Well, there was uh, nobody around so I just decided to wander around." I told him, waving an index finger in the air.

Kabuto laughed and gestured for me to follow him.

"Orochimaru-sama's chambers are this way." He told me, walking the opposite direction.

I looked down the hall that I had been going down and wondered for a second where it led, but realized it probably didn't matter.

Wow, for being on the evil side, Kabuto wasn't as sick and odd as I thought he'd be….well not yet….

After about five minutes of silent walking we stopping in front of double doors and Kabuto put his hands on each of the handles, opening the doors at the same time, walking through without a glance at me, probably expecting me to follow him through, which I did.

"Orochimaru-sama. Here's the girl I told you of." Kabuto said in a light voice as he kneeled before the man who had his back to us.

When he turned around to face us, my blood froze in my veins. His manga and anime versions did him no justice. At all. The very air around the man caused goose bumps to break out across my skin.

He didn't have the air, or the look of a normal person. He was so pale, like he should've been six feet under instead of standing in front of me. His black hair reached his waist almost but the thing that scared me the most, were his eyes. They were bright yellow, not like, a fluorescent yellow, but bright and finally, black slits replaced pupils.

It wasn't the appearance of his eyes that shook me, it was what I saw within them.

I saw blood, sick desire, malice, evil and darkness. I also saw weakness and illness. I saw excitement, nervousness and anxiety. Most of all…I saw hate and contempt…for himself.

"Well look at this. What a pretty little thing. Kabuto tells me you have certain abilites that could prove very useful to me?" He asked, his serpentine voice sending shivers down my spine.

"Y-yes. I believe so." I replied, trying my hardest to maintain my composure. I didn't want to seem weak in front of him.

"Please, describe them to me."

"Well, I… I can see things that are going to happen in a place by simply stepping in. I can also see what's going to happen to a person touching them. I know of things that you have done, and that Kabuto has done. I also can see things are going to befall you." I told him, hoping my speech was good enough.

That familiar tilted grin enveloped his lips and his eyes twinkled with desire.

"Wonderful…. Just wonderful. Of course, I've heard many tell of their power, but many of them have turned out to be nothing but fakes, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to test you. Tell me of something from my past."

I took a deep breath, and tried to think of something. Finally…

"When you were young, you visited your parents graves in the village hidden in the leaves and there you found the skin of a white snake. You questioned your sensei as to what it was and he told you it was the very rare shed skin of a white snake and that it resembled renewal."

Orochimaru's eyes only twinkled more at my response at his request and he licked his lips with an over-long tongue.

The man had always disgusted me, even in the anime, and now, actually seeing him do things like that, it disgusted me even more.

"That's a very true event." He said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Kabuto I do believe we have a real find here, don't you think?"

The spectacled Shinobi nodded, a small smile on his face. "Yes Orochimaru-sama, I think you're right about that."

Great. So they fell for it, what were they going to do with me now?

"Your name?" Orochimaru asked, finally breaking the awkward silence.

"Oh, Dante Chadwick." I replied and his eyebrows raised.

"That is a very odd name, as many places I've been, I've never heard a name quite like that."

I shrugged. "Well my county is very, very, very far away." I said, staring at the ground.

"Ah." Was all he said before looking over at Kabuto,

"Kabuto-kun, would please take her somewhere for me?" He asked, and the silver haired medic nodded,

"Where to?" He asked.

"I want you to take her to Sasuke-kun's quarters." The snake-like man hissed, a smile on his face.

What? Why the heck would he send me there? I directed my vision over to Kabuto and could see that he was even a little confused.

"Uh, yes of course. But if you don't mind Orochimaru-sama, why?" He said, asking the question I was too afraid to ask,

"You said she had chakra but no ability. I would love to train her myself, but I simply don't have the time. Sasuke-kun however has the leisure to take time off lesser missions to train her. Also, you said her chakra was of Raiton affinity, I do not have the ability to perform Raiton and neither do you. That leaves only Sasuke-kun. Also, Sasuke-kun is strong in Raiton even though his chakra is Katon, so that leaves me to wonder if she was to gain the jutsu he knows, if her Raiton chakra would strengthen them." He told his assistant.

Though his reply seemed reasonable, I could sense there was something more. Ever since I arrived here, I had felt more connected to my surroundings, especially living things. It was like I could feel them, feel their energy buzzing in my skin. I could tell when Kabuto lied because that buzzing sensation I felt from him flared and I don't really know how I could tell Orochimaru was hiding something, I could just… feel it.

I had the inclination that the more I stayed here, the stronger this connection would become. Only time would tell if it would be a good trait or not.

Understanding, Kabuto inclined his head. Well, even though it did make sense, I didn't think Sasuke would be very happy when he learned he'd have to take on an apprentice.

Almost as if he could hear my thoughts, he spoke up again. "But Orochimaru-sama, do you think Sasuke-kun would take his new position without argument?"

'Orochimaru-sama' laughed that raspy, hissing laugh again. "Don't worry about that. When he returns from his mission tonight, I'll explain things to him."

Kabuto nodded and turned on his heel to the door without further question, just before he reached the door, he stopped and something changed around him.

"Orochimaru-sama, before I take to Sasuke-kun's quarters, would you mind if I….had her to myself for a few hours?" He asked, and I froze.

Oh God no. Please God no. I knew what he wanted to do with me….

I turned to Orochimaru and shook my head. "Please no. I'd rather die have him poking and prodding me. Please don't let him."

Orochimaru gave me a surprised look. For some reason, I felt like the 50-some year old would protect me, seeing as he favored my ability. He favored Sasuke, so I was sure that he had never been experimented on, but Sasuke was a much different person then I was, and Orochimaru didn't want any harm coming to his future vessel. But I, I was in place to defend myself if they really wanted to do something to me.

I felt so weak and helpless. Just like always. I had thought that with the existence of chakra I wouldn't feel this way anymore, but it did little good when I had no idea how to use it.

Seeing my terror-stricken face Orochimaru looked over at Kabuto and shook his head. "No Kabuto, they'll be no experimentation on this one. We don't know if it'll effect her ability or not."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks." I told him. Man did I owe him one. As evil as they made him out to be on the show, I didn't think the real Orochimaru was that bad. Of course I could be very wrong about that, one act of kindness didn't mean squat.

Kabuto frowned and nodded, adjusting his glasses.

I followed him out the door with one last glance at Orochimaru. "Thanks again." I said and he only nodded before I closed the door behind me.

"Well.." Orochimaru said to himself in the empty room. The torches casting moving shadows on the walls.

"I certainly do feel something stirring within that one. Its almost like what I feel within Sasuke-kun, but she's suppressed it. She's certainly a strong one for suppressing all that…

"Hate."

I looked down at my shoes. I had heard what he said about my suppressing my hate. So that's what it was. He was pairing me with Sasuke in hopes that in getting revenge on his brother, it would awaken my own desire for revenge… Well I simply wouldn't let it.

z88;

It was silent between myself and Kabuto as we walked, his mouth set in a straight line.

"You knew what I had planned." He said, breaking the long silence.

"Uh…like I said, I know the things you've done., and frankly, I don't know one person who would want that to be done to them." I replied and he laughed.

"Oh you'd be very surprised. We get ninja who come here looking for help. Help for their abilities, which they feel as curses. Urges to kill, severe bloodlust, malovent tirades in which they remember everything, but they can do nothing to stop it. They want to be freed from it, and so they come here, in hopes Orochimaru will help them, and he does. I do. With helping them he also gains some very interesting powers he can give to others. Of course, the ninja does not know this in the beginning."

I knew who he was talking about. He made it sound as if many ninja cane who were like that, but I knew that there was only one.

Jugo.

Of course, I didn't mention that to him. "Oh." Was all I said as we continued walking and the silence came again.

z88;

After about another five minutes we stopped at a random door.

"Well, here it is. Sasuke should return in a few hours. Everything will be explained to him before hand. So, make yourself at home…For now. Odds are Sasuke will have a major problem with someone staying with him, so we'll probably need to set you up your own quarters." He told, and I nodded in reply.

I walked through the door, and it was shut behind me.

I looked around, it was nice, but definitely nothing special. There was a large bed against the back wall and a dresser across from it. There was also a table beside the dresser. A torch was placed on each wall and two candles were lit on the dresser and the table, illuminating the room.

I had to say, I really liked candle light. There was just something calm and natural about it. Also, just as I could feel the energy of everyone I had encountered, I could feel the energy of the fire…It was different though, and I realized I liked this feeling much better. It wasn't a buzzing sensation, but more like a warm heat beat.

Fire wasn't destruction or pain, it felt like light, life. And I smiled as I walked over and put my hand over the small, flickering flame of the candle on the dresser.

Feeling the warmth so close up caused warmth to spread throughout my body, calming my mind and senses and I lowered my hand into the flame.

Something crazy happened, it didn't burn me as I expected it to. It licked my fingers as if feeling them, seeing if they were a threat to its light and then burned silently against them, my skin un burning.

I was thoroughly amazed. What was the reason for this? Why wasn't it burning me? It was nothing more then a comfortable warmth against my skin and it made me feel relaxed and calmed all the frantic thoughts I had had since arriving here.

I wondered what would happen if I were to lay in a fireplace. I laughed as the thought amused me.

My body tensed as the buzzing sensation returned. Someone was outside of the door and by the flaring of the sensation, I could tell they knew I was in here, and they weren't happy.

Sasuke. Most likely.

Outside, I heard the metallic sound of metal against metal and I cursed inwardly. Before I could react to anything, a stream of concentrated chakra shot straight through the door and through my shoulder, embedding itself into the wall behind me.

The shock came first and the pain came immediately after that. I only stared in awe at the bright sword of lightning and chakra impaling my shoulder.

I could feel my skin sizzling from the intense heat and inside of my shoulder went completely numb. Apparently lightning could burn me when fire could not.

It hurt like hell, but I didn't cry out, I had been through much worse then this.

My ears twitched as the sound of the door knob turning reached them.

It turned slowly before it stopped and the door swung open slowly…


	4. Chapter 3

My legs burned and my lungs felt raw. "Can't I stop now?" I whined, the words coming out raspy as my voice was winded from the fifty laps I had just done and the fifty-first I was working on.

"No. Finish the laps." Was his reply.

"I still have a hundred more! This isn't training, all you've made me do is run!" I protested, my run dying down to a very slow and stumbly jog.

"You are not in shape. If you aren't at your peak physical condition, you will never survive as a ninja." He replied, his tone blank and calm. After he had walked out of Orochimaru's chambers yesterday, he must've calmed down, giving what I had told him some thought.

I hadn't seen him the rest of the day and I hadn't bothered him because I thought it was better to just leave him alone and let him be angry for a while. When he wanted to talk to me, he would find me.

I didn't answer him, and my pathetic jog turned into a tired walk as I huffed and puffed, trying desperately to get my breath back.

"No walking. Run." He said, and I ignored him.

"Now." This time his voice was firm, and had an edge to it, which got me back to the slow jogging. I heard him sigh when he saw this, and he got up from his seat on the boulder.

He slipped his arms out of his sleeves, exposing his toned chest, and pulled the shirt out, throwing it to the ground, and I gasped.

His clothes were weighted? A large indention broke into the forest floor when he had dropped his shirt to it and I wondered how any person could even walk around in that without falling over.

Noticing my surprised stare at his shirt, he said: "In time your clothes will be weighted as well, so I would start getting used to the idea."

My eyes widened and I looked at him in disbelief. "There is no way I'll be able to wear that and move. I can't even do a push up with my own one hundred and ten pounds, how the hell am I going to lift an additional two thousand?" I asked, still gaping at the shirt.

He lifted a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

"It weighs two-hundred and fifty pounds, not two thousand. And that's what training is for. You're just going to have to deal with it and quit being so weak and pathetic." He told me and I glared at him before turning my attention to the ground.

He was right. If I wanted to be a ninja, I had to quit complaining and force myself to become stronger physically so I could handle weighted clothing and heavy weapons. As small as that katana was, I didn't think it was that light. So after I raised my head and glared at him for a good five more seconds, I took off in a run, as fast I could go.

Before long I ran my lungs raw and my body began to ache again and through the corner of my eye, I saw him come up beside me in a fast-paced jog, not looking tired at all.

After about two more minutes I slowed down, my legs and knees killing me, feeling like they were going to break apart at any time "I can't do this. It feels like its killing me, like my lungs are imploding."

He stopped and stood there, glaring at me, eyes fierce and smoldering as he put a hand on my back (which sent chills down my spine) and shoved me forward.

"I suggest you start running." He said in a low and dangerous voice. He reached behind and gripped the hilt of his katana, pulling it from its sheath.

My eyes widened and my stomach clenched as I saw the cold seriousness in his eyes. "Are you ki…"

That's all I said before he came at me, sword in hand and I booked it, running as fast as I could, my legs pumping and my heart racing, adrenaline beginning to course through my body just as fast as my blood.

What the hell was he doing?! In the frantic panic I was going through trying to live, I realized that if I took deeper breaths while I ran, I'd be able to run longer , but for how long, I didn't know. Sasuke, however, could probably run for hours.

I screamed as a kunai flew by inches from head and I nearly tripped over a large tangle of weeds before catching myself just in time, and trying to increase my speed, but I didn't think I had it in me.

I knew for a fact that he wasn't really trying that hard, he was probably chasing me at not even half his speed and then cutting that in half. I had seen the episodes, the guy was damn fast, and if he wanted me dead, he'd have it done before I even knew what was going on.

Realizing he wouldn't actually kill me, I stopped and spun around, uttering a "Sasu-" Before screaming again, this time at the sight of a razor-sharp katana swinging towards me, aiming for my head, and I ducked, barely avoiding the blow.

…So maybe he was serious. If I didn't think of something to do fast, I was fucked.

And then a thought hit me like a tidal wave….I was a third degree black belt, what the hell was I doing running? When the realization came into my head, I guess I stopped for a moment, enough time for him to swing at me again, slashing my entire arm down the side all the way down to my hand, splitting the knuckles of my middle, and ring finger apart.

I didn't think I had ever felt that kind of pain in one second before, and I began to bleed profusely after screaming momentarily in pain.

Fuck! I yelled internally, and turned, bending my knees so I his arm flew over my head. I quickly snapped back up and grabbed his wrist with my un-mutilated arm, using it to get behind him and aim a kick at his back, while I still held his wrist tightly in my hand, but Sasuke wouldn't have it.

He pulled free with ease, and stepped to the side, swinging his sword back behind him, and then driving it forward.

Another fiery explosion of pain erupted as the katana deeply grazed my side and my hand automatically moved to put pressure on the wound, but just because I was half-doubled over, and didn't see him, didn't mean I didn't know where he was.

As it turned out, I could feel where he was and where he was coming from, and so I side stepped him, and then stepped forward, throwing my foot back and hooking his ankle with mine, and then yanking my leg forward in hopes that he would fall forward, but he didn't.

He did begin to descend down, but instead of landing on the ground, he landed on one hand, and used it to flip himself up so he landed on his feet facing me a few feet away.

This time, we watched each other, well…I was watching him, and felt for his energy, waiting for what he would do.

Spotting the kunai knife he had thrown at me earlier, embedded into the ground barely two feet in front of me, I rushed forward and grabbed it, deciding to make the first move.

I lunged forward and tried to stab him with it. Both of my hands on the three-inch-or-so bandaged hilt, so I could get more force if I did hit him with it, but the moment I got within three feet of him, he stepped forward, dropping his katana, grabbing my wrists, and twisting my arms so that he had them at my sides, and we weren't but two inches away from being pressed together, and he did it in all in one split-second, fluid movement.

Once the realization of what happened hit me, that familiar warmth and smooth, silky sensation overcame my body again, but this time it was much stronger then before and I had the feeling it had something to do with the fact that we were so close together.

My liquid-gold eyes widened as I stared into his face, taken off guard at what he had just done. A small, chilling wind blew, ruffling the scraggly leaves of the small, weak trees that were scattered here and there, as well as further ruffling up my straight-as-a-board black hair so that wisps and chunks of it blew across my face.

Instead of moving we just stayed like for a few seconds, but to me it felt like an eternity, his smooth, coal black eyes burning into mine, the wind rustling his hair…

I don't think I've ever felt so relaxed, so at peace ever in my life then I did at that moment.

That sort of harsh, serene look on his face disappeared as something else passed over it, and that cold steel came back into his. He released my arms and stepped back.

"Lessons over for today." He said, and then walked past me, the sensation fading as he moved father away.

Once it was completely gone, and I could move again, I turned and stared at his now clothed back, and broad shoulders, his katana neatly back in its sheath. I hadn't even seen him pick it up.

As I walked back to tunnels, I thought about the fight, and I thought I did pretty good, despite my injuries, which were still hurting like fucking hell. Well pretty good by my standards and I figured I had years and years of training to go before I even got close to his, or any ninja's level.

I felt so insignificant next to him, so childish, like I was barely a kitten trying to learn what a tiger knew. I didn't like the feeling, but I knew it would go away as I got better. He had told me I needed to be in shape, and the first thing I decided I was going to do when I got back to the compound, besides have these horrible cuts healed by Kabuto, was train, or exercise and build muscle so I could maybe one day win a fight against him….

Yeah I know, fat chance. He would just continue to get stronger and stronger, and even though I had only been here a couple of days, it felt like I had whole eternities to cross before he would even remotely consider me an equal…or a threat.

As my thoughts drifted to the very odd, but very relaxing feeling he gave me whenever we were in close proximity , I started to wonder what it would be like to be like to be wrapped in his strong arms at night, warm and safe… as my thoughts started to go a bit further as every girl's did, I shook my head, trying to shake the thoughts away.

Sasuke wasn't like any of the other boys I had ever, or probably would ever come in contact with. Yeah, he was sixteen, but he was already on that level where he was miles ahead of any other guy his age, or any other man older then him. I was sure women fell at his feet all the time, and he could probably get any one he wanted, no matter what age, but he wasn't like that. His mind wasn't on women or sex, or relationships, it was on strength, hatred and revenge.

I had always enjoyed chasing boys, and going into stalker mode whenever I development a new crush, and that was okay…with any normal guy. But Sasuke… Sasuke was a whole other universe, a deep, dark, forbidden universe that I didn't think I needed to get involved with.

He was such a torn soul, with the most emotional baggage I had ever seen on anybody. But could you really blame him with all the hell he'd been through?

As I thought more and more about him, I remembered a song I had heard back in 'the real world.' It was called Beautiful Disaster and I thought it fit him perfectly.

He drowns in his dreams…

That line was true in the most literal sense. He did drown in his dreams, he did nothing but drown in his dreams, training and getting stronger, constantly moving toward them. Well…it.

An exquisite extreme, I know. He's as damned as he seems, but more heaven then a heart could hold…

He was an exquisite extreme, going to every extreme to arrive at his goal, but he did without sloppiness. And when I got that smooth, warm sensation, it did feel like a beginning of heaven, and it would probably get to be more then my heart, at least, could if I try to save him, my whole world would cave in. It just ain't right. Lord it just ain't right.

That was a very real truth. Sakura and Naruto had tried to save him, from darkness and from himself, but they ended getting hurt and left behind. Would the same happened to me if I tried to salvage his soul?

Oh and I don't know, I don't know what he's after, but he's so beautiful, he's such a beautiful disaster.

No, I didn't know what he was after. Yes, revenge, but what was he hoping that would do for him? Make the pain go away? Undo what was done? Change the past? I knew what his goal was, but I didn't know what he hoped to get out of it. And he was beautiful, the most beautiful disaster I had ever seen.

And if I could hold on, through the tears and the laughter, Lord would it be beautiful? Or just a beautiful disaster.

Wow, the very question I had been asking myself. Could I hold on through all the tears? Through all his tears, not so much physical, as emotional for it to become something beautiful? And as far as laughter went, I wasn't quite so sure there'd be much of that unless he somehow changed drastically.

He's magic and myth, as strong as what I believe, a tragedy with more damage then a soul should see.

To me, and where I had come from, he was magic and myth, the abilities he held border lining on seeming magical and he was definitely a myth back home. He was also definitely as strong as what I believed, probably even more so. And then there was then there was his soul, which had way more damage then it should've ever seen, and this really saddened me about him, never having the chance at a normal, happy life.

But do I try to change him? So hard not to blame him.

Do I try to save him? Do I risk being hurt like all the rest? And if he did hurt me, it would be hard not to blame him, not to hold him accountable,

Oh and I don't know, I don't know what he's after, but he's so beautiful, he's such a beautiful disaster. And if I could hold on, through the tears and laughter, would it be beautiful? Or just a beautiful disaster.

I'm longing for love and the logical, but he's only happy hysterical. I'm searching for some kind of miracle, waited so long. I've waited so long…

It was true, he was only happy hysterical, and I didn't know if I could ever change that about him. A miracle was certainly something I was searching for,

He's soft to the touch, but frayed at the ends, he breaks. He's never enough, but still he's more then I can take.

He was soft to the touch, when he had pushed me forward, he hadn't jammed his hand into my back, and when he grabbed my wrists, it was very lightly, not in any way trying to harm me. He might've been soft to the touch, and he might've been beautiful, but he was frayed at the ends, he was still imperfect. The sensation he gave never did seem to be enough, but I knew it would grow to be something more then I could take.

Oh and I don't know, I don't know what he's after, but he's beautiful, he's such a beautiful disaster. And if I could hold on, through the tears and the laughter, would it be beautiful? Or just a beautiful disaster.

He's beautiful, Lord he's so beautiful, he's beautiful…

He was more then beautiful on the outside, but I knew, despite all the darkness and hatred, confusion and hurt, anger and rage, he could be beautiful.

I wanted to help him get there, make him see that there was more to life then revenge, but I couldn't take that away from him. I knew it was something he needed to do, something that would finally ease down all that pressure and conflicting emotions I knew raged within him.

I would help him get his revenge, on Itachi and then on Danzo, and after that, hopefully if he wasn't dead…I would figure out a way to get him out of the darkness.

But how I would do that without going into the darkness myself, I didn't know.


	5. Chapter 4

Beads of sweat rolled down my face as I lifted myself from the floor. I had always hated sit ups.

"Five." He said, in that perfect, smooth, flowing voice. Was there anything about him that wasn't beautiful? Well, except for the inside. The most beautiful people were always the most deranged….not that Sasuke was deranged or anything….maybe a little demented though….

"Six." He said as I came up again, my arms crossed over my chest.

During the past two weeks, all I had done was physically train. Running, sit ups, push ups, pull ups, muscle toning, stretching. My poor body was screaming at me to stop every night after training. I could barely move without that deep soreness rippling through every muscle in my body.

"Seven…."

"Eight…."

"Nine….."

"Ten…"

"I can count on my own you know." I spat, as I came up for the tenth time. His eyes narrowed at me and he clenched his jaw.

For the next five sit ups, he was silent, and my abdominal muscle felt like they were on fire. After only fifteen sit ups. How long had I been doing these, and they still caused me this kind of pain?

After 20 more, I couldn't possibly do anymore, so after I came up for the twenty first time, I let go and let my back hit the concrete. "Okay, I'm done. Can't do no more. What's next pretty boy?" I asked.

Confusion flashed behind his eyes at what I had called him. "Pretty boy?" He asked, uncrossing his arms, and lifting himself from his chair. Whenever we trained, all he did was sit, it was because he did this kind of training on his own time, in fact, he did it after he got out the shower every night.

I grinned inwardly, a week ago, I had befriended one of the two women here who had had the very rare opportunity to be Sasuke's mistress.

FLASHBACK

"Oh it was only one time. He hasn't requested anything more since then." Kaeda, a women who was used for only that specific use, told me. Although she was the more prestigious one, the one only the higher-ups got. She was like a royal whore, but I found I liked her a lot. For being a woman and being here, she certainly did have a lot of power and influence.

"Want to get what you want?" She had asked me, after I had finished training and had asked how she had so much power. "Sleep with the boss."

She had burst out in laughter at my expression. "You slept with Orochimaru?!" I replied, thoroughly disgusted.

Kaeda was probably one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. She had thick, voluminous, glossy black hair, full lips, a perfectly straight nose, heavy-lidded eyes, and a killer body. She was definitely model material, but she emitted a sort of dangerous air about her, if you were a man, you didn't touch her if you weren't on the client list of two. Which was apparently Orochimaru and Sasuke.

"Oh hunnie you do not know what you are missing." She replied, leaning forward. "That man is something else in bed, you have no idea. Oh, and his tongue…!"

I made a face, and put my hands up, "Okay, no more, just stop right there, I don't want to know!" I yelled and she grinned impishly.

"It just gets better and better every time." She had whispered, and I didn't know if she was talking to herself, or to me.

"Now, Orochimaru, he's good in bed, but now…Sasuke…" She said, laying down, draping her arm across a feather down pillow. (We were sitting on her bed in her lavish apartment in the east end of the complex.)

I tensed and pursed my lips, did I really want to hear this?…Yes I did.

"Well, you told me about…ugh, Orochimaru, now I guess you're going to have to tell me about Sasuke." I replied with a sigh, acting as though I didn't want to hear, and she lifted her head, still grinning that evil grin.

"Well!" She began, sitting up quickly, and placing her hands on my knees.

"He doesn't talk. Didn't utter one word through the whole thing. I'm sure you've seen him shirtless right?" She asked, lifting her eyebrows.

"Well, yeah." I replied and then she continued on.

"If you think his chest is in great shape, you should see the other half."

Oh god. Again, was this a picture I wanted? With how distant and shuttered he was to everyone, it was hard to imagine him actually engaging in….I didn't really want to say it much less imagine it.

"Oh…um…." I also didn't know how to reply to that.

"But, the reason he's so great, is that he isn't gentle. At all. In fact, he's very rough, and I think that's because of all the anger he's got bottled up inside. But that's just how I like it, rough and painful. Gives it more of a kick, you know?" She asked, and I felt my cheeks get hot.

"Uh…well no, I don't know." I told her, I was a virgin, and the thought of losing that, well… it kind of scared me. Having someone seeing all of you, taking in everything, I had always thought that was when people felt the most vulnerable, and that was they waited until it was someone they knew they could trust. A husband, or a wife.

"You're a Virgin D?" She asked. D was just something she started to call when we first met, and I rather liked the nickname.

"Well, yeah. The whole though of sex…scares me. I know, I sound so stupid." I replied. I really felt like Kaeda was someone I could tell everything to and she wouldn't judge me, wouldn't cast me away or call me a liar. She may have been a personal whore, but she was a strong woman, and she had a very kind soul and I really looked up to her. It wasn't like she was junkie corner whore. She knew what she wanted and she knew how to get it. She was fierce and scheming and she didn't have sex with these men, really, for the money. It was more just because it was something she enjoyed doing. Like a chef makes money for cooking, but he does because he loves it. She could probably leave any time she wanted.

Kaeda was a very different person, but a very likable person.

"Now, sweetie, that's not stupid at all. I remember when I was your age, and I was the same way. Losing your virginity is something that's very personal, and it's a very big decision, and you shouldn't make the mistakes I have and lose it to someone you don't love." She replied, concern etched in her expression.

"Although I'm sure you'll come to love Sasuke very much and he'll make it very easy for you. I don't think he'll be very rough with you."

WHAT!? What the hell was she talking about?!

"What!" I yelled taken aback. "How do you even….that me and Sasuke would ever….he's just short of hating me….what?…I…" I stumbled, unable to construct a decent sentence.

Kaeda laughed. "Oh calm down D, it's nothing to be ashamed, wanting a man, it happens to every girl."

"I-I don't want him!" I retorted. I was such a liar.

She laughed again, a rich throaty laugh. "You're a horrible liar D. You should stick with the truth. Come on, we're both girls here, I keep secrets very well."

"But.. I don't…" My voice grew small and I put my face in my hands.

"But he's just so goddamn beautiful. How am I supposed to change that?" I said, my voice stifled.

"I know, I know. Every girl he passes practically faints around him and let me tell you, any regular whore down in that brothel would give her soul just to have one night with him, don't be so ashamed. It's perfectly natural, at least when it's concerning someone like him."

I lifted my head and stared at my hands. It wasn't like, a sexual desire I had for him, so it was true when I said I didn't want him… like that…yet. What I wanted was that feeling that he gave me, that smooth, silky sensation that was so strange, but so peaceful, so calming.

"You don't understand Kaeda, I don't want him like that. I-I want…this is really hard to explain…"

"You want his acceptance? His approval?" She questioned and she was right, that was another thing I wanted, but that wasn't specifically what I was talking about.

"Well, yeah, that, but there's something else…whenever we're in the same room, he gives me this…feeling. It's like a smooth, silky, soft… sensation…in my skin. In my whole body. Like I can feel his presence, his energy, his…life. It makes me feel so calm, so un-intimidated by everything here. It makes me feel warm and safe and secure like nothing can hurt me as long he's there, by my side. That's what I want, I want him to be by my side.. For-forever." I finished, sort of surprised at what I had realized I had wanted the most.

Her eyes widened and she smiled a brilliant smile. "Oh D! You're a sensor!" She yelled, her eyes bright. "And by the looks of it a damn strong one at that. If you can feel his life that's certainly something. Most can only feel chakra. Those kind of sensations don't exude from chakra, only from ones very energy and life. Wow! Does he know? Does Sasuke know? Does anybody know?"

So many questions. I was still processing what she had said about my being a sensor, the questions just flew right over my head.

"A sensor?" I whispered. Well wow, I knew it was something like that. "I can feel plants too. Bugs, animals." I told her.

"Yup, that's another sign you're an energy sensor, bugs and plants don't have chakra, yet you can still feel them. This is so cool."

"Nobody knows." I said, her questions finally getting their turn in the jumbled mess that was my brain.

"I just found out myself."

"Well you definitely have to tell Sasuke, and Orochimaru may want to know, but he's not that important." She responded, still smiling that gorgeous smile.

"Yeah, I suppose I should tell him. But I imagine he's sleeping right now.."

"So go wake him up!" She replied, obviously very excited.

"For this?! He'd kill me!" I told her, making a face. "It can wait until the morning."

"No it can't. You don't have any idea how special this is, how very exceptional. This is something that's only been rumored about D. Nobodies ever been seen that has this type of sensor ability. You don't know the kinds of things you're going to be able to do with practice. Right now, you can only feel them, but in time, you'll be able to bend their energy, control them. Nobody would every be able to surprise you, or beat you. This is huge!"

"Control them? How do you know if nobodies ever been seen?" I asked, feeling very skeptical. And she laughed.

"Well I'm only assuming D. Can't you feel it though, the ability to reach out and touch that energy?" She asked, and as I though about it, I did feel something like that, but it wasn't a reaching feeling, it felt like there was a wall there, shielding that person.

"Well, kind of…" I replied, and she grabbed my hand yanking me off the bed and dragging me down the hall.

"Where are we going?" I asked, trying to get my hand out of her grasp, but she was surprisingly strong.

"To Sasuke's room." She said, a smile still on her face.

"What? He doesn't like to be woken up Kaeda, it really annoys him. He almost sliced my hand off the last time I did it."

"Yeah, well, he's just going to have to make an exception."

She had told him everything, although he wasn't happy about being awakened, he didn't make any complaints after he heard the reason for the waking.

"Why didn't you tell me." He asked, in that demanding tone again.

"I didn't know that what it was until Kaeda told me. I had no idea what it was. What part of different country do you people not understand?" I asked, feeling very irritated with him for some reason.

"Well now you know. You'd better start getting on it Sasuke. I think she's had enough of the work out stuff. You should really start teaching her about chakra. Maybe if you had starting teaching her about it in the first place, she would've figured it out." She told him, shaking her head.

"I don't tell you how to…do your business. Don't tell me how to train my students." He replied, glaring down at her.

"Okay okay, I'm just saying. Don't get so angry."

"This changes things." Sasuke said, "It means your chakra is different from everyone else's. And… I don't think we need to tell Orochimaru of this, he'll want to experiment with it,"

"Yeah, lets not tell him, or Kabuto." I agreed. "I'd rather die then let them experiment on me.

Sasuke's expression was blank as I said this, and I wondered what he was thinking.

"For right now, we'll treat as normal chakra, and if things don't work out, you might just have to learn to do things on your own. I've never met anybody like this, and so I wouldn't be able to help you beyond combat and battle strategy." He told me and it almost made me smile to know he wouldn't be giving up on me completely.

END OF FLASHBACK

"Yeah, pretty boy. Suits you don't you think?" I asked, getting up from the floor.

He didn't say anything, only glared, but that was enough.

"Okay, I won't call you that anymore, jeez." I replied, rolling my eyes. I had gradually become more used to being around him, moving around him and speaking around him. I wasn't afraid to talk anymore, or to be my usual dumb self.

I figured this is the way I was, and he'd just have to live with it.

"That's it for today. I have a mission that'll take up most of the week. So keep to the schedule, I'll know if you don't and I'll make it twice as difficult when I get back if I find you've been slacking." He said, and I cringed. Training while Sasuke was there wasn't so bad, because I had someone to talk to, even if all he said in reply was either no, yes or aa, which I took to mean as yes or no, but still, he was something to babble to.

"Yeah, fine." I replied, waving a hand in the air. "What's this mission about?" I asked, suddenly interested.

"That isn't any of your concern." He told me, and turned to walk away. "You aren't a ninja yet, so stop concerning yourself with our business."

That hurt. Why was he being so cold all of a sudden? Well whatever, I didn't really want to keep to the tight schedule he had set for me, but I figured I had no choice.

"Hey D. Once Sasuke leaves, you want to go have a little fun? I heard crescent moon island is the place to go right now." Kaeda said, walking over me.

"Crescent moon island?" I asked. "Isn't that really far away?"

"Oh, not for me. I just learned this killer teleportation jutsu, and I can take us both tonight. I thought it'd be a lot more fun to get a taste of the night life first."

"Oh, Kaeda, I don't know, I'm supposed to stay here. Sasuke told me to…"

"Do you listen to everything he says? Come on, we'll be back before he is, so there's' no worries." She retorted, smiling.

"He said he'll know if I haven't been doing what I'm supposed to be doing. And I don't really want to face him when he gets back if I go off to crescent moon island."

She sighed, and put a hand on her hip.

"Dante, Sasuke may be your sensei, but he doesn't rule you, you know. So you don't stick to the schedule for a couple of days, what's it gonna hurt?"

She had a point. I hadn't seen anything but these dark, gloomy tunnels and that damp wasteland up there since I got here.

Maybe a little fun wouldn't kill me….or knowing Sasuke, maybe it would.


	6. Chapter 5

His eyes scanned the dark forest, the colors inverted, everything clearly visible as it always was through his Sharingan.

Seeing, nor sensing any sign of a threat, he advanced quickly, skimming through the trees, his Sharingan trained ahead. This mission was just the simple, infiltrate and retrieve, with the possible assassination added on if he got the chance.

His name was Shokuda, Matsurata, and it was to his estate that Sasuke was headed. He was a Hidden Sand nobleman, and he possessed scrolls that Orochimaru wanted, the same old mission. Anymore, it seemed like he was doing nothing more then filling the man's grocery list then engaging in actual missions.

These recent missions were nothing like the ones he used to give him, where going behind enemy lines was a lot more dangerous considering his more trying motives. Kidnapping, murder, and thievery was basically all he did, with the occasional sabotage, and those were always a bit more enjoyable.

Even though he didn't enjoy these child missions, he knew why Orochimaru gave them to him. The more enduring missions usually took him between four and six weeks to complete because of all the planning, preparation and strategy that was involved, and now that he had a student he couldn't be gone for longer periods of time.

To be frank, everything about the girl, and the situation fiercely irritated him. He didn't need anything that was going to slow him down, or prevent him altogether from getting what he came here for, and the fact that Orochimaru had left her with him, was doing just that. Not to mention she had an attitude, she complained all the time and she didn't follow orders. After the first week he figured out what it was about her that annoyed him so much…She reminded him of Naruto, vaguely. She always had some smart remark, some reason or excuse as to why she couldn't something, and the way she talked to him with almost no respect was the thing that got him the most.

But, he had to admit, she had the most strange eyes he had ever seen. They were the color of metallic, liquid gold, and whenever he caught her staring, it was like he could see all the different shades of gold that slowly sifted in her pupils. This was ridiculous of course, but it was intriguing.

Though there were many qualities about her that he didn't like, the one that had been nagging at the back of his mind since he met her, was the one that bit the hardest.

His Sharingan had no effect on her.

Why in the world was this? How in the world could this be? This had never, ever been seen before…but then, neither had her strange ability. To actually sense one's life was something ninja had only whispered about, at least as far as he knew. He had heard of, and fought chakra sensors, but their ability was so much lesser then hers, almost miniscule and seeming unimportant next to her own.

He was so intrigued by it, that he had begun to consider her in his plans for the future, once he got rid of Orochimaru and set off on his true goal. He had told himself once or twice that there would be no way he would include her in his journeys, but the more he though about it, the more of a good idea it started to sound like.

Having a sensor of her….well potential ability, could turn out to be very useful. He might not have to pursue Karin after all, if Dante could get enough control on it in time, seeing as he wasn't planning on staying in Sound for very much longer.

For the most part, he was taking the training slow with her, he didn't want to overwork her, or give her body more then it was physically able, and she had been whining in his ear the whole time. And if that wasn't enough she gotten Kaeda nagging at him as well, and that was certainly something he didn't need.

For some reason, it had really irritated him to find that Dante and Kaeda had become friends, and from the looks of things, close friends. He wasn't sure he wanted Dante around the kind of influence Kaeda inflicted, it might become a problem in her training and behavior. Her normal antics were enough, he didn't need any influences from personal mistresses.

He couldn't help but wonder if Dante was actually sticking to the routine as he had told her, and if she was doing okay with it, but he knew that she probably wouldn't do what he told her as it always was when he was absent. She was a very rebellious soul, and he'd have to fix that. He couldn't have someone on his team who couldn't follow orders to the letter. Of course, things could change when the success of a mission, or someone's life depended on it.

There was something else about her, the day they had fought-and he had to admit that he was very surprised at her level of fighting skill, even if it wasn't much-when she came at him with that kunai, and he had easily disarmed her, when they were but inches apart. The strangest look passed over her eyes, as though a wall had dissolved away. What he had seen in her eyes reminded him of what he saw in his own every time he looked in the mirror.

She had been traumatized at some point in the past, but she held back all the hate she carried for whoever inflicted it upon her, keeping it suppressed and hidden away, like she didn't want to have it, didn't want see it. He had seen pain, and longing, loneliness and regret. He saw anger and rage, but only faint traces. He saw suffering and sadness, tears and slow reform. She was a very strong person on the outside for what she had going on, on the inside.

There was also a lightness about her, he didn't see any kind of malice or acid in her expression or heard any in her voice when she spoke. He had wondered if she had possibly forgiven her perpetrator for his crimes, but the very thought seemed absurd. If she had forgiven him, why would she still carry the hate?

As he pushed off from the last branch he had landed on, he made the decision to question her about it when he got back.

The serpentine sound of hissing took him from his thoughts and caused him to stop and glance to his left, where a large cobra sat coiled around a branch.

"Ahh, sssSasuke, you finally ssstopped. I have newss for you. Your little protégé had dissappeard, along with that Kaeda. It iss ssusspected that they have gone to Cresscent Moon Island. Orochimaru-ssan tellss me it iss your choice whether to go after her, or continue with the mission." The large snake told him, his eyes bright yellow, and fangs glinting in the moonlight.

He clenched his jaw. So she hadn't followed the routine. Of course, why was he so surprised?

"Thank you Akota, I'll pay you as soon as I get back." Sasuke told him, his eyes dead ahead.

With one final hiss, the snake dropped from branch to branch until he reached the forest floor and slithered out of sight.

His fists were clenched at his sides. Crescent Moon Island? What in the world was she thinking? Going off to a place like with no one to look after her besides that wretched Kaeda. Once he got her and took her back to the complex, he would make sure she would be kept away from the wench.

He cursed silently before turning east, and putting up a hand sign, disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

He arrived on the docks of the bay just a few minutes later, trying to get his breath back from the pressure that had just been exerted on his body on account of the teleportation. He took a deep breath and followed a fisherman's path that he knew led to the city that lay just over the hills, resting in the valley of the island.

It took him no more then a few minutes to reach it, and he could hear it and smell it before he saw it.

The sound of hundreds of bustling, celebrating people filled his ears, and the smell of street food, sugar and countless people's perfumes and colognes wafted through the air. Just by these things alone, he knew some kind of festival was going on, some kind of very large, city-wide festival.

When he reached the village through an alley way, he walked onto the main road, right into the thick throng of people strolling through the street.

Lights hung across the way and vendors and various booths, as well the usual shops all lit up, lined the road on each side, people coming and going from each stand, and walking in out of the shops that sold everything from kitchenware to hand made kimonos.

His jaw clenched again as he realized just how large the festival really was, and he wondered how long it would take him to find her. As the anger and irritation made its course through his body, he walked down the road, eyes searching for her.

He felt the eyes of girls and women on his back as he walked, but he barely paid it any attention, and he could hear them whispering and giggling as he passed, but again, paid no heed.

"Oh get out here Dante, you look great!" Kaeda's voice sounded above the noise, and he looked to his right, down a street that wasn't so busy, to see Kaeda, her hair tumbling across her shoulder and wearing a very revealing kimono standing in front of a dress shop, looking in with an expectant, excited look on her face.

"Kaeda no, this just isn't me. I can't believe I let you talk me into this." He heard Dante's voice say from the shop, and before he reached them, he saw the dark-haired woman reach in , and grab something, finally yanking Dante out into the streets.

He stopped dead in his tracks.

Kaeda had dressed her in a short, but not too short, strapless silk dress that hugged her body in all the right places. Her glossy black hair was piled on top of her head, a diamond piece fitted nicely in, shimmering in the lighted streets. Black strapped heels were on her feet instead of the usual boots and they accentuated her long legs very well.

Her eyes had a bit of liner around them, with pale sliver eye shadow added, and red lipstick glossed onto her perfectly shaped lips to finish it off.

The look was simple, yet very elegant, and it fit her perfectly, the neutral colors making her golden eyes even more piercing, but her face was like a thundercloud.

"Kaeda, I look absolutely ridiculous. I'm taking it off. Besides what did you do with my ninja clothes?" She asked, her voice sharp and annoyed.

Dante's companion only smiled before responding, "D, you look beautiful, trust me! Look at all these people, they can't take their eyes off you! And as for your clothes, well I'm not going to tell you until the end of the night. After we've had our fun."

Dante glared at her and then turned in his direction, folding her arms across her chest, eyes narrowed…until they landed on him, and then they grew wide with surprise.

"Uh, Kaeda, I really don't think we're going to have time for that fun." She said, and he put the slight glare back on his face before advancing through crowd, toward them.

"She's right Kaeda, you both are coming back with me right now. You deliberately disobeyed me Dante, and there will be consequences for that." He told the two, reaching them within seconds.

"Oh come off it Sasuke, what's wrong with a little fun? And just so you know, I got Orochimaru's permission for this, and he overrules you. We are staying." Kaeda replied, her hands on her hips.

Sasuke's glare only deepened at her remark. "No, you are not." He said.

Kaeda waved a hand at him, as if sending him away. "Oh, go back to sound if you want, but Dante's staying with me, and don't even think about using the 'she won't be safe with you' card because you and I both know I'm very capable of taking care of both of us. Just because I like to have fun doesn't mean I'm not responsible."

"She is my student, not yours. Orochimaru may have given you permission, but Dante received none from me." He retorted, his tone final, but Kaeda ignored it,

"You're her teacher, not her commanding officer, not her master and not her father, you can't tell her what she can and can't do all the time!" Kaeda yelled at him, and spinning to face Dante, who stood there, eyes going back and forth from him to her as they argued.

"Dante, will you please tell him?" She asked, gesturing to the unmovable Uchiha.

She sighed and shook her head. "What makes you think he's going to listen to me?" She asked. "Our relationship isn't a democracy, it's a dictatorship, and in case you haven't already figured it out, he's the dictator. I can't even go the bathroom without his okay. See? This is why I didn't want to come." She finished, still shaking her head. "I knew this was going to happen."

Kaeda was silent as her green eyes searched Dante's gold ones.

"You can stay and have that fun. I'm going back before his majesty has a fit." She said, glancing over at Sasuke, whom she could feel fuming.

She walked past him and then stopped, "Well, lets go."

Sasuke's eyes scanned the ground. Was this really that bad? So she wanted to get out of the musty, stuffy tunnels of Oto, did he really blame her? And she really did look….

What was he thinking? He shook his and turned his gaze to the angry woman in front of him. "Fine. You can both stay. But don't leave my sight."

Kaeda's face was engulfed by a smile as she ran past him and grabbed Dante by the wrist again and pulling her along toward the main street.

"Come on! I heard there's a dance hall just down the road!" She exclaimed, and Dante just stumbled along after her.

"Oh, Kaeda jeez, can you slow down? I can't run in these dumb heels!"

Sasuke sighed in irritancy, unable to believe at what he had just done.

He set his face with his usual blank glare and walked after them, cursing at himself all the while.


	7. Chapter 6

When I thought about it, I didn't really deserve this recent turn for the best. Back home I had been a menace to the neighborhood and a defiant, trouble child for my stepmother, but she deserved every bit of defiance. My grades were failing and the principles office was like a second home. The reason for my bad behavior hadn't been based on the fact that I just wanted to act that way, or that I wanted attention as the teachers and counselors accused me, it was a much different reason.

I had lost all that was dear to me. My biological parents, and my caring, loving adoptive father which of whom I was very close to, so really, what did I have to lose? Who was there to be afraid of? Not my stepmother certainly. What would she do? Kick me out and send me to a girl's home? Start slapping me around? Of course, I was hoping for either, being sent to a girl's home sounded heavenly compared to living that tacky palace and I'd been just waiting for her to hit me, to give me a reason to beat her ass. Self defense, would get by in court. However, she may have been rich and a total wretched witch, but she wasn't stupid, and she would never lay a hand on me.

And then there was Eliza, Janette's spoiled, whore of a daughter What would she do? Burn all my clothes, or convince mommy dearest to give her my monthly allowance? I'd just steal her clothes, with that massive closet, she'd never even notice. Or if she did, she'd only lock her door, and with the behavior I'd been engaging myself in, a measly knob lock would be completely pointless. I didn't need keys. Its just truly amazing what you find can find on the internet.

To be honest, I was ashamed of the way I had been acting, but I wasn't at the same time. It almost made me cry to think how my family must see me, the disappointed, pained look on their faces…but then I thought of the heck I had been putting Janette and Eliza through, and it made me smile, almost overshadowing the guilt….almost.

"D, what do you think we should do first?!" Kaeda's throaty, yet lilting voice pulled me from my thoughts.

"Oh, uh…well I don't know Kaeda, you choose." I said in reply, not really paying attention to what she had been asking about.

After her squeal of laughter ripped me from my wandering thoughts of my previous home, I gave up and decided to think about it later, when I didn't have a three year old laughing and pointing and pulling at my wrist from booth to booth.

"Oh D look!" She yelled, and I sighed, shaking my head and looked up, and after several seconds of blinking I burst into laughter.

The scene before us was utterly ridiculous. There were three people standing in the middle of the street, one had black hair, one had waist-length black hair and a white painted face, and the other had silver hair, glasses resting on his nose.

"Its Sasuke, Oro…chimaru….and K….Kabuto!" Kaeda exclaimed through fits of uncontrollable laughter at the play playing out in front of us.

"Oh wait 'till he sees!" She shouted, throwing her head back with more laughter and then doubling over,

She found it absolutely hilarious without even listening to what they w ere saying or doing. My own laughter faded as I listened and took a good look at each of the performers.

"…And molesting children is the most fun!" The Orochimaru look-a-like said, his voice loud and bearing no resemblance to the real snake man's chilling serpentine voice.

"You're sick, you're a sick, twisted, child snatching psycho man." Sasuke's character replied, pointing a finger at 'Orochimaru'. The kid playing Sasuke made me frown deeply with high disapproval. His voice was high, and boyish, far higher then Sasuke's deeper, far smoother tone. This guys skin was suntanned and freckles riddled his face. He was scrawny and short, probably about five six, nowhere near Sasuke's six feet, maybe six one. But, the thing that annoyed me the most, way more then any one of the other countless flaws the kid had, was the fact that he slouched his shoulders as he stood there in Sasuke's attire, though the shirt was slightly different.

Sasuke never slouched. Ever. He always stood straight, straight and calm. For some reason seeing this boy playing Sasuke slouch forward really annoyed me, as if by slouching he was disrespecting my mentor, putting him down and my frown turned to a small smirk as I felt Sasuke's presence come up to the side of me, and I hoped he wrecked the whole thing.

I was mistaken in that hope. The flare of anger and irritance I had expected to feel didn't happen, his aura…I guess….stayed perfectly calm and reserved.

"Sasuke, can you believe what they're doing?" I asked, shaking my head and wrinkling my nose at the Sasuke impersonator.

Finally, I felt as if something was missing and I looked around before finally realizing that Kaeda's laughter had ceased. She stood there, arms folded across her chest, a glare on her face.

"They're terrible. They don't know Orochimaru or Sasuke or Kabuto at all! They're just making things up! Actors should at least get their facts straight before trying to make fun of somebody. But if anything, that kid's making Sasuke look awful stupid." She said in a sour voice, eyes still following the horrendous play.

I didn't even attempt to listen and I realized as I looked up at Sasuke, that he had a smirk playing on his face, as if he was fighting it and it was winning.

"Why are you laughing?" I exclaimed. "They're making a fool out of you! You don't….why would you…." I was at a loss for words, without looking at him again, I stormed off toward the group, mad at them for making Sasuke look dumb and weak, and mad at Sasuke for letting them.

I was also mad at myself. My moods had whirling from to the other instantaneously and it was very frustrating. The slightest things would set me off and the smallest things would instantly cheer me up. What was wrong with me now? Bipolar disorder?

"Hey!" I yelled and grabbed "Sasuke's" shoulder and spinning him around. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

"Hey, get you're hand off me!" He shouted back, trying to brush my hand off, but I gripped harder.

"I think it's time for you and your lot to cancel this little play." I said, ignoring his protest against my hand.

"We have a right of opinion. And if I wanna make Uchiha Sasuke, that gutless, filthy, white, traitorous, Uchiha trash look like a downright moron, which he is, I will!" He replied, and his glare faltered when he noticed my own.

For some reason, what he had said had set something off and the fury bubbled and boiled. It felt like a damn had broke and the hot, raging water rushed into my system as anger and rage.

The glare had subsided and I looked at him through a cold, stony stare.

"You will take it back." I said, only just able to control my voice. I was ready to kill the little asshole, and the hand gripping his shoulder tighter and tighter until he began whimpering in pain.

"N-No." He said, squeezing his eyes shut as my hand clenched tighter and there were various cracks and snaps coming from his shoulder.

"How dare you talk about him like that." I replied, ignoring his no, and his whimpering. "You don't know him. You don't know a thing about Uchiha Sasuke. He's ten times the man you will ever be. And if he's trash, then what does that make you, you filthy little pathetic parasite?"

When he didn't answer my question, "What does that make you!" I yelled in his face, about ready to bite his head off.

"I-I don't know." He replied, shaking. "I'm-I'm not afraid of you, you traitor-lover. Uchiha Sasuke's nothing but a traitorous…" He trailed off, searching for a word, and then finally…

"Bastard."

My eyes widened, and I suddenly felt Sasuke's presence behind me once more, and I could feel his anger at what the kid had just called him. In sense, it was true. Bastard meant fatherless boy, and well….he was a fatherless boy, so I understood his anger and I shared it.

"Most are wise enough to know when to keep their mouth's closed." He breathed, and the boy's face paled quite considerably as he spotted and heard Sasuke.

"I-I-I'm sorry, I didn't m-mean it. I swear!" The kid choked out in fear, his eyes locked onto Sasuke's.

"But you did." Was Sasuke's reply, and then his cool black eyes quickly scanned the kid, before flicking back to his fearful eyes.

"If you're going to pretend to be a person, you've got to know what they're like, and how they feel. To help you're little performance here, I'm going to show you what I'm really like and how I really feel." Right when Sasuke finished this ominous sentence, three comma-like black dots spiraled from his pupil and the black of his irises shifted to red.

Already cast under whatever Sasuke was showing him, his face paled even more and his eyes widened until they looked about to come out of his head.

After Sasuke had shown up, I had released my hand from the kid's shoulder, watching and enjoying his suffering under Sasuke's unrelenting gaze.

The kid began to shake his head after a few more minutes. "Wha…no! No stop! Not them! Please not them! Leave them be! Leave them be!" He shouted, and tears began to streak down his face.

"NO! STOP, STOP! YOU'RE KILLING THEM, YOU'RE KILLING THEM ALL! STOP IT! WHY ARE YOU SHOWING ME THIS!?" He yelled, and Sasuke tensed at the words he himself had said years and years before.

Finally after the boy was screaming, and pleading did Sasuke close his eyes, releasing him. He sunk to his knees, sobbing heavily, head in his hands.

"Now you know. I don't expect the same mistakes twice." Sasuke told him, and turned, walking away. I shook my head at the kid before saying: "Serves you right." and then walking after Sasuke, taking Kaeda's wrist and pulling her along.

She was pale and silent. She had apparently never witnessed Sasuke do something like that.

For some reason I felt extremely angry and malovent and it scared the hell out of me.

"What did you do to him?" I asked quietly as the people, who had previously fallen deathly silent, starting buzzing again.

"I put him under the Tsukuyomi." He replied. "I showed him what Itachi had shown me that night, except it was his own family, and he was in my place."

I could only smile. "You handled that a lot better then I did. I wanted to kill him for saying those things about you. Wanted to run him through right there on the spot."

Through the corner of my eye, I saw him shoot a side glance at me. "That would've caused an uproar. You should know better." Was his reply.

Wow, not even a bit of gratitude for standing up for him. Did I really expect any?

"Yeah, I guess. I was just so angry though, it was horrible, more then I could stand. I didn't feel like me. I probably would've killed anyone at that point." I said. "I still don't feel like myself. At all."

Sasuke's jaw clenched as I told him this. "Where did all the anger come from?" He asked.

"From that kid! He was insulting you and…"

"Yes, but I don't think that's what caused the initial anger. I think you've bottled it up for so many years that finally, for the last time, someone agitated you, and the bottle broke, releasing all of the anger you've kept suppressed for years." He told me, and I opened my mouth to protest, but closed it.

How had known? How could he tell something like that? I never let on about anything, never showed it and never let it leak out. I had become a master at hiding my true emotions, yet he saw right through me. I suppose it was because he was such a master at hiding his own, that seeing through my defenses wasn't difficult.

"Dante, what are you guys talking about?" Kaeda's voice intervened Sasuke's about-to-reply, and I sighed, slightly mad at her.

"Nothing." Sasuke said for me. "We'll discuss it later." He said, this time addressing me.

Kaeda looked confused, but she didn't press it, only put an index finger to her mouth and starting chewing the neatly manicured nail and I could only stare at her.

What she had seen Sasuke do had really shaken her if she was biting her nails, and I pursed my lips as I spotted the group of dancing bodies up ahead.

Grabbing her wrist again, I pointed to the dance floor. "Kaeda didn't you say something about dancing?" I asked, pushing away all the dark, depressing thoughts that had filled my mind, and returning to my happy, not-a-care self.

Immediately, as if coming out of a fog, she smiled and started running to the floor. I laughed and then looked back at Sasuke, who looked mildly annoyed, and smiled.

The couples waltzed across the floor, dancing to the wonderful, slow music that played, and Kaeda was immediately approached my at least ten men. Picking the tallest one, who I couldn't help but notice, was still shorter then Sasuke, and dragged him onto the dance floor.

"Poor guy." I muttered to myself with a little chuckle.

Again, through the corner of my eye, I spotted Sasuke walk over and lean against a booth that stood on the edge of the floor and I walked over to stand next to him.

We were silent as we watched the dancers so I took the time to try and answer the questions that slowly floated through my mind.

Why did I keep comparing other people to Sasuke? And what's more, not only did I do it, but I did it subconsciously. Nearly every man I saw, I had some comparison between them. Like, Sasuke's hair is darker then his, or his eyes aren't the same pretty charcoal black as Sasuke's. I wanted to quit, but I couldn't seem to. As a lovely couple floated by us, I automatically thought: Sasuke would never be that clumsy and I yelled at my mind to quit it.

What in God's beautiful name was wrong with me? I can feel people's life forces, something that's not even normal here, I have childhood issues, I'm apparently bipolar, I was going in and out of anger every five minutes, I had almost killed that kid, and now I my fondness of Sasuke was turning into an obsession.

This world was corrupting me and I knew it. This world…and Sasuke, were bringing out things in me that I had locked away, and kept hidden within myself all my life. They were forcing me to show the person I had tried desperately to cast away, to change and to forget. They broke away the layers and walls I had built up and seen the pain and anger that they covered up. They showed me the things I had denied to myself.

So it was there, but I didn't want it! I didn't want this hollow, cold feeling. I didn't want to feel angry towards everyone that talked to me…well towards everyone except Sasuke. I was never more then mildly irritated with him. It was like he quelled the anger and lessened the pain. He knew what it was like to feel this way, he had been feeling it his whole life, and I finally realized just how crushing and hard to carry it was.

The people in the village, Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi had told him to just forget about it, to move on and I had agreed with them wholeheartedly because I felt I had done the same, but I had been lying to myself. They had no idea, no idea that he was feeling this. All the anger and rage, all the suffering and pain at his loss, at being the only left alive.

Tearing away from my own thoughts, something else struck me. As well as being a Naruto fan, I was also a very big Harry Potter fan back home and similarities between Harry Potter and Sasuke began to formulate in my mind.

As hilarious and dumb as it sounded, I found them a lot alike…The Boy Who Lived….Neither can live while the other survives….It was the same. Sasuke and Harry had both been The Boy Who Lived…while 'Neither can live while the other survives' was talking about Harry and Voldemort in my world, here I was referring it to Sasuke and Itachi.

I felt enormously stupid as I thought about this, but it made sense to me.

Finally shaking my head and going back to Sasuke and this world, I pursed my lips. I understood why he needed to kill Itachi, why he left the village and broke all bonds he had.

This anger and pain was like a fire raging within you, burning and destroying you from the inside out, driving you mad and killing you slowly. I was willing to kill that kid to make it stop, to lessen it and so I understood.

Sasuke was going to do anything to stop the anger, the rage, the hate, the pain…the fire within himself, and if that meant killing his brother and avenging his clan as he felt he had been left alive to do, joining Orochimaru, leaving his home, and betraying everyone he cared about, then that's what it meant.

They had never, and would never understand the kind of pain he went and was going through. Going to sleep with it, and then waking up with it, constantly wishing it had only been a dream, only a figment of the imagination. Looking in the mirror and not knowing the person that looked back at him with cold black eyes the same as his brother.

I would do anything to stop this fire that had finally been released within my body and mind, and I would do anything to help Sasuke stop his. Before, when I said I didn't know what he after in killing his brother, now I knew. If he didn't, the fire would consume him and drive him over the edge. It would kill him. Sasuke didn't want destruction and chaos…he wanted peace, and to be frank, to hell with peace for the rest of world. I need to make peace within myself before I can start working for everybody else.

The world was cold, cruel and indifferent to him and so he had to become what the world was in order to survive the path he was going down and would not stray from. With the realization that I would do anything to help Sasuke achieve his goal, something else occurred to me, well, someone else.

To help him achieve his dream, that is my dream. The words of Haku. He was prepared to do anything, kill, steal, lie…die for Zabuza and I knew exactly how he felt, how he believed. To find someone with the same pain as you was such a wonderful thing, especially if you were new to that pain, and had someone there from the beginning to help you. It was like seeing a light in eternal darkness, coming up for air after an eternity of being drowned or finding an Oasis in a vast desert.

I looked up at Sasuke, at his blank expression, lingering on his shielded eyes for a moment before he felt my eyes on him and looked down at me and I turned quickly away.

I understood now, and I felt an immense gush of admiration and sadness for him. He was a survivor to very core, and I was proud to stand by his side.


	8. Chapter 7

"You're insane." I said, crossing my arms. We had rented rooms in a small, but luxurious hotel that stood beachside, courtesy of Kaeda. I had expected Sasuke to protest, saying in that polite, yet commanding tone that they didn't have anymore time to mess around and they needed to get back to sound, but oddly, he said nothing as she handed him his room key and waved at him as he walked down the hall, not glancing back once.

I sighed and glanced at myself in the mirror. I looked normal, back to feeling like myself. My sound attire felt loads more comfortable then that black abomination she had made me wear last night.

Almost as if reading my thoughts, she said: "You know, that dress wasn't that bad. I think he liked it, he was staring at you before he got a hold of himself again and came over to rain on our parade."

I knew exactly who he was. Instead of using his name, she had just started saying he, or him putting emphasis on it every time she said it .

I snorted and shook my head. "You were seeing things Kaeda. Sasuke doesn't stare at anybody." I replied, although the prospect of Sasuke actually staring at me in a non-irritated way sent butterflies floating through my stomach but I wasn't about to let her know that.

"I did not see things. Come on Dante, I know when a guy is staring. Especially when someone like Sasuke stares. He has such an intense gaze. You're the sensor, couldn't you feel him before he came over?" She asked.

"There were so many people there Kaeda, my skin felt like it would burst from all the energy I felt last night."

"But didn't you say he has a specific feel? Wow, if you get that feeling from just his energy, imagine what his hands would feel like…"

"Kaeda! Please! You should really learn to keep your thoughts to yourself! Geez." I interrupted her before she could go any further, and she threw me a wicked smile.

"So, the beach, how about it?" She asked, switching back to our previous conversation.

"Kaeda, I don't think so, you know he wants to get back today. He'll never go for it." I replied, knowing full well that he would never go for it, we had spent too much time here, and I couldn't help but wonder if Orochimaru was starting to get suspicious.

"Oh come on D, it's not like he has to go in the water."

"It's not about going in the water, it's about getting back to Sound before Orochimaru starts wondering where we are and comes looking for us. Knowing him, he'll use the opportunity to round up some new test subjects." I told her in a stern voice, truly afraid that Orochimaru would come around.

She laughed at me.

"D, he already knows where we are. When I asked him if we could go on this little excursion, he told me he would send someone out after Sasuke and that he was pretty sure he'd come looking for you. We're in no hurry. It's not like we've gone A-WOL, he knows where we are."

I pursed my lips, before turning to the door. "I'm going to talk to him." I said, before swiftly walking through and closing it behind me before she could stop me.

I knew she thought I hung on his every whim and…well even though I did it wasn't because I was just infatuated with him, it was because I feared making him angry. He didn't show the anger when he was mad at me, but I could feel it. The silky sensation he gave me felt like a silky fire whenever he was angry. His aura took on a sizzling, crackling feel and it was kind of frightening.

After walking down the hall and to the left, I arrived at his door, knocking lightly.

"Sasuke?" I asked and I could hear movement in the room before the door opened and he stood there in nothing but his blue pants.

I could only stare for a few seconds before I willed away the flush that rushed to my face and became very busy with scratching my head.

"I thought we were leaving today?" I asked, tearing my eyes from his chest to look up into his face. The usual blank expression he wore when around me looked back.

"Kaeda already informed me that you two were going to spend one more day at the beach." He said and I blinked.

"Since when do you listen to her?" I asked, thoroughly surprised that he actually acquiesced to her. "You said you wanted to go back today…since when do you listen to anybody?"

"So you don't want to stay." He replied, and by the very subtle tense in his jaw I realized he had let that slip. I almost smiled. He agreed because Kaeda told him that I wanted to stay. It took a whole lot of effort to suppress my smile, but I managed it.

"Uh, well she wants to go to the beach and the beach isn't really my thing. She lied, I had every intention of going back today, but hey, if you uh, wanna get some rest I'll go with her. To be honest, you look like hell." I told him and if I could've, I would've looked at myself in shock. Did I just really say that to him?

Besides widening my eyes and becoming very interested in the thick carpet in the hall and avoiding his possible glare, I didn't say anything to cover it up or take it back, he really did look like hell. His hair was a mess, there were slight bags under his eyes and by the way he held himself, still straight, but I could tell he was exhausted. There was something else just behind his shielded eyes, something I couldn't quite name… Narrowing my eyes, I realized he hadn't done anything last night that took even the slightest bit of energy. So why did he look so tired?

"Did you fight someone?" I asked, the possibility springing into my head when I noticed the bandages that were tightly binding his entire forearm, which were stained lightly pink.

He didn't answer me right away, only blinked a couple more times before replying: "…There was a man in your room last night."

What? "You were in my room last night?" I asked, skipping over the fact that there was a stranger in my room and latched myself onto the fact that he had been in my room.

"Why were you in my room?" I asked when he hadn't answered my first question, my eyes searching his own unreadable ones.

"I saw him go in. I hope it was no one you were…involved with. If so, I apologize, I killed him by accident." He told me and I shook my head.

"No, I'm not involved with anyone. I don't know anybody else besides you, Kaeda, Orochimaru and Kabuto." I replied, looking down. I wish I was involved with someone…like that would ever happen.

"Anyways, never mind that. Your arm, is it okay?" I asked, pointing to the now-red-stained bandages. He glanced down for a second "Aa. I'm fine."

By the slight shift in the sensation on my skin, I knew he wasn't telling me the truth. "Oh, just so you know, I can tell when you're lying. So you might as well just tell me you're not fine. Whatever you managed to do to yourself, it kept you up all night. And apparently, it hasn't stopped bleeding."

His expression hardened and before he could protest I shook my head and slid past him, heading to the bathroom where I knew they kept an adequate first aid kit. Back home, when I had taken martial arts, they had taught us how to treat most injuries, so I wasn't about to let Sasuke be an idiot and get his arm infected just because he was too full of pride to admit he was in pain.

He walked up behind me and took the kit from me. "I told you I was fine. This isn't necessary." He said, giving me a glare and I glared right back.

"You're a goddamn liar Sasuke. You are not fine. If you don't let me treat it, it's going to get infected and then you'll really be in trouble. Bandaging it is not enough." I replied, holding my glare, my hands on my hips. He was being childish and I felt like a mother scolding her son. A son that was a whole head taller then me.

I reached out and snatched the first aid kit from his hand and opened it, and rifled through. I pulled out fresh bandages, a bent needle, a spool of plastic thread, antibiotic cream, and rubbing alcohol.

"Alright, now come on. Sit down and put your arm on the table so I can use two hands." I told him calmly, and he did as I said, begrudgingly, but he did it.

I sat across from him, placing the supplies on the table and started to unwrap the now-blood-soaked bandages from his arm. "Lord Sasuke, what did you do?" I asked, "Surely you know that…." I couldn't finish. I had unwrapped the bandages enough to see that he had slashed his arm all the way down to the bone, the muscle and tendons shredded away.

"What in the world happened?" I asked, looking up at him in shock. "Why in the hell did you not go to the hospital?!"

"It was Hidden Leaf ANBU I fought last night." He told me in a steady voice, not unsettled by his injury in the least bit. "I was recognized and I managed to kill one, but the other one got away from me, and I'm sure he's spread the news that I'm here. The hospital, especially would recognize me."

"You said there was only one in my room." I replied slowly, looking into his deep black eyes.

"There was, but I chased him outside and the other attempted to ambush me. I killed the first one but the other one was using some kind of water jutsu and it hit my arm as I blocked his attack."

"So why didn't you just tell me the truth?" I asked, wondering why he was acting so strange.

"I didn't think it really mattered. It was a small inconvenience, nothing more."

I shook my head and looked down at his maimed arm. "This is a small inconvenience?" I asked, gesturing to it. "It's going to take forever for this to heal without medical nin jutsu. What is with you? You're smarter than this. Couldn't you use a henge to get into the hospital?"

Sasuke's expression grew from calm to hard in an instant. "Just stitch it up. I'd like to get back to sleep."

I blinked at him, and sighed before picking up the needle, sterilizing it in the alcohol and threading it through. I reached forward and placed my left hand on his wrist to hold his arm steady, and when his skin came in contact with mine, the sensation flooded over and through me like a tidal wave, sending my senses and mind reeling. It had never been this strong before, it swirled through me and slid across my skin like a soft, cool piece of silk. His aura was certainly something else and I was completely overtaken by it. It wasn't a bad feeling at all, in fact, it was very intoxicating. The air smelled of clean linen, fresh rain and the warm smell of the forest. It was exactly what I had smelt before when he grabbed my wrists back when we were training and I realized this was Sasuke's smell, and I had to say he smelled very good. It was pure, natural smell.

It took me a few seconds to try and get used to the overwhelming (but in a good way) sensation before shaking my head and leaning over his arm. I had avoided his face, unsure of what I would find looking back at me.

"This is p-probably going to hurt since there's no anesthetics." I told him in a quiet voice, and I could tell he shifted uncomfortably in his seat before nodding. Did he feel the same sensation or was he just readying himself to be nicked through about fifty times? After I decided he was just preparing himself, I put the edge of the needle against his skin, and pushed through.

The moment the needle broke the surface of his skin, and blood leaked out, I was hit with a massive bout of nausea and a cold, slick, terrified feeling swept through my stomach. I dropped the needle, my hand shaking, and my eyes staring at it.

I had no idea what was going on, but the feeling I had received from poking through his skin with that needle had made me experience such a horrible feeling that it made me sick to even think about it. I didn't think I had ever felt that terrified in my entire life, and I had no idea what the cause was.

I sat there, staring at my hand, which was still hovering over his arm, my mouth open and my eyes wide.

"Dante."

His voice brought me back to my senses, and I looked at him, surprise mixed with fear still on my face.

"What's wrong." Another demand to know.

"I-I…nothing." I replied and shook my head again. "It's uh…it was the blood."

His eyebrows pulled together, and he then looked down to his deeply gashed forearm and then back up at me, a perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised. "This wound doesn't bother you, but a drop of blood does?" He asked, giving me a very disbelieving look.

I didn't have an answer for him. I stared at him for a few more seconds before picking up the needle and turning back to his arm. I soaked and dried the needle again before poking through his skin again. The same horrid feeling hit the pit of my stomach again, and I winced noticeably but ignored it, preceding to make stitch after stitch, each time feeling worse.

By the time the bloody gash was closed and cleaned up, I felt absolutely terrible. My skin was damp from sweat and my entire body had a tired, disgusted feel to it. After I tied off the last stitch, I realized I was trembling terribly.

I took the roll of bandages in shaky hands and wrapped his arm very carefully, as to not to disturb the stitches, which were probably still tender.

"Change these bandages every night, and pour some alcohol on those stitches every night too. Don't rip them because I won't be able to re-stitch your arm." I said, and it was true, I didn't think I'd be able to go through feeling like that again.

After tying off the bandages at his wrist, I lowered my hands, glaring at it in a curious way.

"Dante." He said again and I blinked several times before getting myself together and lifting my head. "Oh, yeah, you can go to sleep now." I said and packed all the supplies back into the kit and heading to the door.

Before I could wrap my hand around the handle, his arm reached around and grabbed it, making leaving impossible for the moment.

He stepped in front of the door and looked down at me with that blank glare on his face. "What happened." He said in a you're-not-leaving-until-you-tell-me tone of voice.

I looked down at my feet, a troubled look on my face. "I don't know what happened. When I went to make the first stitch I got a kind of….sick feeling. Like hurting you was…." I trailed off, I had no idea how to describe it.

"You weren't hurting me." He said, releasing his grip from the door knob, letting his hand fall to his side.

"Well I was doing something. It was only when I pushed the needle through your skin that it came on. It kind of just, exploded in my stomach and spread through my body. It was just pure…fear and sickness." I finished.

"I'm not describing it very well at all. That's why I told you not to rip them. I can't feel like that again."

He was silent as he studied my expression. After several seconds of his onyx eyes boring into my own, he stepped passed me, and sat on the edge of the bed that stood in the center of the room. He leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees, eyes looking at the carpeted-floor.

"I need to ask you something." He said after a few more seconds of staring at the floor.

I walked over and sat at the side of the bed, not far from him. "What?" I replied. Even though his face was mostly obscured by his hair because of his lowered head, I could still see his eyes, and he had them closed.

"My Sharingan doesn't work on you." He said, eyes still closed, and head still lowered.

I widened my own eyes, and blinked slowly a couple of times. His Sharingan didn't work on me? How in the world did that work? Was it because I wasn't from this world? Was my make-up different or something?

"I…. That's not really a question Sasuke. That's a statement." I told him, not knowing what else to say.

Finally, he looked up and turned his head to look back at me. His eyes were open now, but instead of the cool, liquidy black, they were red.

"Why is that?" He asked. "Why doesn't it work?…What are you?"

My curious expression fell and I stared into his Sharingan. His last question sent a sharp pain into my chest. What was I.

I wasn't normal. I wasn't average. I wasn't like a normal, real-world person, or any ninja or person in this world. I wasn't right.

I clenched my hands into fists, squeezing the soft comforter. I lowered my gaze from him, and glared very hard at the ground. His question, that I could not answer, unleashed all the pain and anger I had put away last night. I had refused to let it course through me freely, and after much concentrating, and assuring myself, I had pinned it back up. But now… He had asked the one question I had been refusing to ask myself, the one question that would tear me to pieces if I were to ask myself. This pain, this ripping pain I felt in my chest was so much worse…because….because the question had come from the person I cared the most about. It had come from Sasuke and hearing it pass through his lips, hearing it mouthed in that deep, velvety voice, it tore me absolutely apart.

Feeling my eyes burn with the heat that could only be tears, I squeezed them shut, letting them fall down my face, burning my skin. I gripped on the sheets harder and then stood, and ran out of the room.


	9. Chapter 8

I didn't bother to go back to Kaeda, she'd only want to know why I was upset and I had no desire to talk about it. So I ran from the hotel and down to the beach. The day was sunny and warm, and people milled about in swimsuits and regular clothes enjoying the warm weather.

As I looked around I felt more and more distant. I didn't belong here, and I didn't know why I continually tried to fit in. Sure I had chakra and ninja ability but that didn't make me one of these people. I wasn't from here, I belonged in the real world and I needed to find a way back.

Too my right high cliffs jutted out over the waters and I squinted in the sunlight to try and see them better. If it was a fall that brought me here, then maybe a fall would take me back. I stared at the cliffs a while longer before beginning my trek up to them.

That last question Sasuke had asked me had proved it. Even he knew something was wrong with me. He sensed that I wasn't normal and that made the realization so much worse. I knew he viewed me as a burden, as extra weight that he didn't need. He would achieve his goal, I knew it, and he didn't need my help. Even if I was wrong, and the fall wouldn't take me back and instead killed me, it would be better then feeling like this. I would be at peace and I would've lifted the burden on Sasuke's shoulders.

As for Kaeda, I would regret leaving her behind, she was such a good friend, flighty and erratic, but a good friend. She was someone I could talk to about anything, I could trust her with anything, and above all else, I felt as safe around her as I did around Sasuke.

As the top of the cliffs drew nearer and nearer, I began to reflect on my life as a whole, not just on my relationships, and doings here. I was a screw up, a trouble child who gave her stepfamily hell and enjoyed it. I was angry as a child, after the loss of my parents and the one person to finally bring me out of it, my adoptive father, died. I lost control of myself after that, and the way his wife and daughter treated me after that did nothing to ease the pain.

And so I took my rage out on kids in school, on my teachers and on my family. I had a stepmother and stepsister who probably didn't give a damn about me. I had teachers who shuddered when they heard my name. I had pushed away all of my friends. Here, the only person I had was Kaeda, and I knew she wouldn't be happy when she found out about this, but I couldn't stay here any longer. I was being questioned and it didn't feel right to be here anymore, no matter how much I wanted it to.

I had tried to tell myself it was for the best that I be here, but I was only trying to justify the situation.

A few more steps landed me at the top, and I could see the ocean spread out as far as I could see before me. I walked slowly forward and looked down, the wind making my hair whip around my face.

I stepped forward so I stood directly on the edge. I closed my eyes, took in the salty, fresh scent of the ocean, and let myself fall forward.

I could feel myself falling fast, but I kept my eyes closed, not sure what to expect when I hit the water. If it took me back would I fall onto the hard dirt floor of the grave? When I fell into this world the soft, mushy plants had helped to break my fall, but landing on the hard ground would hurt so much worse.

I hoped if the fall killed me, that it would be swift, painless. I'd hit the churning waters and that would be it.

Goose bumps broke out across my skin as I felt the misty spray of the water on my back and I tensed for the hit.

It never came.

I felt arms wrap around my waist and my body turned so that whoever caught me was the one to meet the water. Almost immediately, the warm water enveloped me and we sank down to the bottom. The person was still holding fast to me and spun so that when we reached the bottom they pushed back up with their feet.

My eyes were still closed when we broke the surface. I was afraid to open them, I was afraid to see who my unwanted savior was.

"What in the hell is wrong with you?" The painfully familiar voice said firmly into my ear as he swam towards shore, with one arm still wrapped around me,

Of course it would be Sasuke, but I didn't answer him, content to stay silent and feel the water drip down my face and through my hair and to feel his muscled body move next to my still one. I was angry at him and at myself. I was mad at him for saving me, but I wasn't quite sure why I was mad at myself. Maybe because I let being different eat at me and cause me to do this? Or maybe it was because I was embarrassed that I let him see me give up.

"Dante. I know you're still conscious so answer me. Why the fuck did you do that?" He asked me, his voice showing nothing but frustration and angry confusion. I was a bit shocked, I had never heard him use such a harsh curse word before.

"I thought it would take me home." I said slowly and quietly. I knew he'd probably be confused, but it was the truth.

"You thought it would take you home? Jumping off of a Godforsaken cliff Dante?"

Was that concern I heard in his voice? Or was I just being ridiculous and hearing things again? Any confused, angry person would ask a question like that.

"Yes." Was my reply. I didn't feel like elaborating right then. The tears that leaked from my eyes mingled with the drops of water that slid down my face, and I was grateful. Seeing me cry was not on my list of things I wanted him to see.

"Enlighten me, Please." He said, his voice a tad calmer, but not by very much.

"It's easy to explain, but you probably won't believe me." I replied, keeping my eyes closed still. I didn't really want to see his expression.

"Explain Dante, now. I need to know what caused you to do this so that I can prevent it from happening again." He told me and I shook my head. Not at him, but in sadness and regret. Yet another thing I caused him to worry about: My sanity. He thought I was crazy.

"I'm not crazy." I said, finally opening my eyes.

"I didn't say you were crazy."

"You implied it." Before I could go on, I felt the sandy sea floor under my toes and I-regretfully-slid out from under Sasuke's arm and hoisted myself to my feet, dragging them through the water and onto the beach. Once I was a ways from the ocean line, I fell into the sand, exhausted for some reason.

I looked over at Sasuke as he retreated from the water, his clothes and hair dripping wet, but his expression fire. He really was angry.

"I'm not from here" I said, looking away from him to gaze up at the sky, seeing a small, sparkling droplet of water slide across my cheek from the corner of my eye.

"I'm not even from this dimension I don't think. I'm from the real-world. Well, the real world to me, to you this is the real world. But where I come from, people don't have chakra, the only ninjas we have are in Japan, and they're nothing but really good martial artists. We can't jump as high or run nearly as fast as you can. We can't teleport or do jutsu. We use guns, bombs, and technology to do our fighting.

"I got here by accident…I think. I don't know what it was, magic, a rip in the universe, I have absolutely no idea. I was drunk and I was walking through a cemetery, not paying attention to where I was going and I fell into an open grave and this is where I ended up. Well not here but in Hidden Sound. Where I live, this world is a popular TV show. How that works is completely unfathomable to me, but I know what's happened from when you were a small child until well into the future. I know who you're going to fight, I know who's going to die, I know what the other side, being your friends in the Leaf Village, is going to do, but I can't tell you how anything ends because it hasn't ended yet, where I lived."

He was silent after I finished probably trying to process everything I told him.

"That's why I jumped. I don't feel I belong here at all. You yourself asked me what I was. I'm not normal, even here. I have an abnormal sensory ability, I can feel the energy of everyone around me in my skin, and your Sharingan has no affect on me. Now if that isn't a misfit, I don't know what it is. I was trying to get back home is all. I'm nothing but a potential and interesting test subject to Kabuto and Orochimaru. I'm a burden to you, and I'm a naïve child to Kaeda. I have no one to relate to really, so you can imagine my feelings and reasoning for doing this…I hope."

He was still silent, but walked over to sit next to me.

"You aren't a burden. Not anymore. In fact, I consider you an asset…well a potential asset. With training, your abnormal abilities as you call them, will prove to be very useful. You are perfectly normal Dante, there is no such thing as not-normal in this world. Chakra does strange things to its wielders. It's a science where we've come to expect and accept anything it creates." He told me, and I wanted to hug him. With only a few sentences he had made me feel a lot better. I suppose hearing from him that wasn't some strange being was incredibly reassuring because his opinion was the one I cared for the most.

"As for that question I asked you. I didn't mean to ask it in that way. I was implying your abilites or other jutsu you might not have told me about. I don't know why I asked you in the way that I did, but it was a mistake on my part, and I apologize if…that it caused you distress." He said, and paused for a second.

"I thought you were trying to kill yourself. Sometimes you're as aggravating and difficult to understand as Naruto was."

"Still is." I replied. "He's still a stupid, headstrong, determined idiot. Like I told you, I know about the other side too. So, if anything, I can help you with that."

He finally looked at me and nodded. "That would be immensely helpful. The last think I want is intervention from them. The Hidden Leaf doesn't know how to keep it's nose out of anything/"

"Well you are one of their own, of course they're going to involve themselves in your doing, it aids them with finding your location. I don't think Naruto and Sakura will ever give up…well…I don't think Naruto will." I said, thinking back to when I read the chapter about Sakura confessing her love to Naruto and asking him to give up, so that she could hunt him down and kill him herself.

Sasuke didn't reply to that, only looked out at the ocean, his eyes distant.

"Do you miss it?" I asked in a quiet voice. "Your life in the Leaf Village I mean?"

His jaw tensed and his eyes narrowed and he sighed before he answered. "Sometimes. Things were a lot simpler back then. When getting something above a D rank mission was our biggest concern. Of course, for me, I guess I was always plotting this. Leaving the village was inevitable if I was to pursue Itachi, the time was the only thing in question. I knew the kind of power I needed to be able to kill him did not exist in Leaf, and so when Orochimaru offered, I couldn't refuse. Forbidden jutsu was the only way, the only thing strong enough. They don't understand this of course." He finished.

"Of course not. They've lived their lives with a family and people that cared and loved them like one in Naruto's case. He claimed to know what it felt like to be alone, but the kind of alone that you've felt all your life and the kind of alone that he's experienced are two completely different things." I said, and he turned to face me, but I wasn't looking at him. I had propped myself up on my elbows and was gazing up into the sky.

"He was born without parents, without a family, so he didn't know what it was like to lose that and so he was alone from the start. You, on the other hand, had parents, a family and that was all ripped away from you right in front of your eyes. You lived a life with the memory of your parents and their deaths in your head, and he with no memory. You've experienced a much deeper sense of loneliness than he has. He has Sakura, Kakashi, Iruka, the Sandaime, all of whom understand him and the way he felt. But you, they would never hope to understand the kind of pain you knew, and if they said they understood they were liars. You and they could never relate and that set you and Naruto apart. The can never understand what it's like to watch your family die, to be left a crushing ultimatum like the one Itachi left you with. They don't understand just how heavy a burden pain like this is to bear. How it burns and rages in your body like a fire that burns eternally, and all you want is to extinguish it, to be released from the pain, the anger, the hate, the rage. How the only thing you seek is peace, no matter the cost. They just don't understand that is something that you need to do and that by continually trying to intervene they're only building the wall you've built between you and them higher. If killing your brother and ceasing the pain means betraying your village, almost killing your comrade, and joining the likes of Orochimaru, then so be it."

After I finished my tirade, I looked over at him, and he only stared at me. "How do you know all of that?" He asked.

I smiled. "For one, I told you I knew what's happened to you since you were a small child, and second, I do know what its like to watch your parents die. Mine were taken from me, twice. My biological parents were murdered by a serial killer who made me watch, and then my adoptive father died in a car accident with me in the backseat, so I witnessed all three deaths. I know what its like to feel the kind of hate that you feel towards Itachi, because I feel the same thing towards the man that killed my parents and the man the crashed into my adoptive father. I understand your situation, so I'm going to do anything in my power to make sure that you aren't hindered."

He continued to stare at me for a few more seconds before looking back out at the ocean.

"Don't ever do anything like that again." He muttered, turning to look at the cliffs. "Promise me."

I was a little confused that he hadn't said anything pertaining to what I had just revealed to him, but I decided to let it go.

"I promise."


	10. Chapter 9

"Well how is she getting back?" Dante asked me, as we skimmed through the trees, a worried look on her face.

"Kaeda knows the danger of the situation, she can take care of herself. She knows that it would be easier for her to travel alone and if it weren't for the fact that you're so inexperienced, you and I would be traveling separate as well." I told her in reply.

"Oh thanks Sasuke, that just does wonders for my self-esteem."

I didn't reply to her, only kept my gaze ahead. She had such an odd way of speaking. She was just an odd person to begin with. With just one look at her, one knew she wasn't like anybody else. From her golden eyes, to the way she stared at you and then looked away when you caught her, pretending to be staring up at the ceiling, to the way she chewed her lip when she thought about something, or suddenly grew quiet in the midst of conversation with Kaeda, 'spacing-out' as she called it.

She constantly changed the subject when something came up that she didn't want to talk about. She didn't move with grace and caution as most ninja did, but with life and a sort of clumsy balance. Lately, she had been very serious a good part of the time, where before she had smiled and laughed a great deal. Hearing her laugh was something I had grown so used to, that the absence of it seemed strange to me and I found that I even missed it in a way. It used to annoy me in the beginning and I wondered how a person could laugh that much but now, its absence gave me a haunted feeling. When she had been gazing up at the sky after I had saved from her attempt at 'going home' I realized that she didn't gaze up at it in wonder, but in confusion and annoyance.

She had been angry at me for saving her from such a foolish whim, but I learned a great deal about her. Never had I ever even considered the fact that there would be someone else out there who could possibly know what it felt like to live the way I did, and even though she understood so much of it, there were still things she did not understand. Like how it felt to live in the shadow of my brother, the pressure I was put under to excel, the burning urge I had for my father's approval, how it felt to be the unwanted child by everyone except maybe my mother.

It was a comfort to know I wasn't the only one in this world who had been cast into chaos and loneliness. Of course, I would never allow her to know I felt these things, but I could not deny it to myself.

As I landed on a branch higher up, my senses perked and I turned my head, feeling the presence of another in the forest, not fifteen feet from us.

Shuriken whizzed passed her head and she ducked, screaming and throwing her arms over her head as well as losing her balance and falling forward off the branch. At the last second she was able to throw her hand out and grab the branch so that she dangled on one arm from it.

"Don't let go." I told her, leaning forward to look down at her, and then into the trees where the shuriken had come from.

"I'm hanging from the branch of a thousand story tree! Why the hell would I let go?!" She screamed, gazing down at the distant forest floor, her eyes wide with fear.

Despite myself, I scowled down at her. She was first person that had ever succeeded in making me feel utterly stupid.

As my Sharingan inverted my vision and our assailant's form came into view, I reached down and wrapped my hand around Dante's wrist, hoisting her up and stepping in front her to throw four kunai, three deflecting the three shuriken that sped toward us and one going into the trees.

By the flinch in the form, I knew I had hit him, but did not kill him because he did not fall. I told Dante to stay where she was and then I ran into the shadows of the trees, unsheathing my katana and rooting the unknown Shinobi in place with my Sharingan before running him through.

He let out a gurgled gasp, blood spilling from his mouth and nose. His eyes grew large with surprise and then they closed and he went limp. I gripped the hilt a little harder and wrenched it up, tearing a massive hole in his chest before placing my food on his stomach and kicking him off my sword, sending him crashing to the ground, almost seventy feet below.

I stood, staring at his broken body for a while longer before the hair on the back my neck stood up. I wasn't alone and whoever it was wasn't familiar.

I spun to see three more Shinobi to my left. They wore what looked like black leather body suits, but the thing that stood out the most, was the fact that all three of their faces were completely covered with black masks that conformed to every line of their faces and seemed to be connected to the suites for I could see no seam, and the headbands that were tied across their eyes were blank.

They spoke not a word, only stood, watching me. I narrowed my eyes, observing their chakra flow, which of all things, flowing backwards. This confused me, but I didn't have much time to ponder it before the tall one on the left lunged at me, sword in hand. A sword I hadn't even seen him reach for, nor did he have on his person. In fact, as I looked closer none of them had weapons on their person.

I easily jumped back and raised my katana to catch his blow. The screeching sound of steel against steel rang and sparks ignited between our weapons before he pulled away and moved his arm back to aim a swing at my side. I stepped to the side, and aimed a punch at his head that he ducked to avoid.

Feeling the other two advance, I tore my gaze from his sword wielding arm to look over at the other two, who had strange cylinder looking objects in their hands.

I ducked under the first attacker's punch and used the seals on my wrists to summon a kunai, plunging it into one of the other's neck, but I didn't leave it, instead I pulled it out and turned again, first to avoid the blood that projected out of the wound and to evade a swordblow by the swordsman that was probably meant to decapitate me, and then kick from the second assailant. As I ducked low, dodging the kick, I shoved the kunai under the seconds rib cage, streaming chidori through it and ripping it up as hard as I could as to cut through the bones.

A very high pitched scream broke the air after I pulled the kunai from her maimed torso, but I ignored it and turned, leaping back to land on a branch to my right, evading another swing from the swordsman. The two I had killed now lay on the forest floor with the first attacker, and I was left alone with the last.

"Uchiha Sasuke, you are a foolish one." He told me in a deep voice, lowering his sword and standing straight.

I didn't change my blank, scanning expression, only responding: "How so?"

He laughed at me and then replied. "You fell right into our little trap. The loss of the other two is unfortunate but I expected nothing less from someone like you, but, I didn't expect you to be so rash, so daft as to…

"Leave that poor girl alone. She is, in fact, the one we're after." And with that, put up a seal and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Before I had time to reach her, another scream pierced the air.

"SASUKE!"

I broke through the trees to the spot where I had left only in time to see her over the shoulder of another masked Shinobi, her arm and hand stretched out towards me, and then she was gone in a flurry of dark smoke.

I stood, staring wide-eyed at the spot where she had been, and dread filled my stomach.


	11. Chapter 10

A DAY PRIOR

I never really expected him to get that angry with me, but I suppose filling the shampoo bottles in his shower with bleach would make anyone a little frustrated, but it his case, furious. I had heard the water start and then end about ten minutes later. I noticed a slight pause in the sounds of movement behind the bathroom door, heard the sounds of a toothbrush being dropped and the bathroom door being swung open.

He stood there, a towel around his waist and his body glistening with water he hadn't bothered to dry. Feeling the heat rush to my cheeks, I quickly became very interested in the ceiling. When I looked back at him, I found him looking directly at me. Not angry, not annoyed but knowing. Upon taking more then an embarrassed glance at him, I couldn't help but burst into a giggle fit. Instead of the usual blue-tinted black, his hair was a ghastly burnt orange, courtesy of the hair bleach. How he hadn't noticed the difference in smells was beyond me.

"So you did do this." He told me in a calm tone but despite his cool façade I knew he was angry because again, I could feel the tingling sensation grow hot and prickly like a million warm needles lightly pricking the surface of my skin.

"What?" I asked between giggles, "What makes you think I did it? How do you know it wasn't Kaeda?" I knew that he knew it was me, but he wasn't going to take my fun away just yet. Earlier, when I had told him all of those things, I had decided to try and break through the walls he had built and perfected over the years, the only problem was, was that they were a mile thick. To start out I wasn't going to do or say anything too prying or personal so I resorted to harmless pranks. Why I chose to do this, I don't know, but it made sense to me. I guessed that since he was so darn serious all the time that he needed to loosen up and have a good laugh on occasion, but unfortunately with Sasuke that wasn't possible.

"Because of Kaeda's…position within Sound, she does not come into a person's room, especially a man's without being summoned. You are the only one here with that freedom."

Kaeda's position? So he was telling me-in a politer way-that it wasn't her because she was a whore and was never supposed to go into any mans room unless he requests her services. For some reason, I could never refer to her as such, and so when he insinuated that was what she was, it angered me, but I wasn't going to say anything. There was no sense in starting an argument about something that was regretfully true.

And so I cracked a smile and laughed again. "Yeah, okay it was me, thought it'd be a nice warning not to leave your door unlocked. But what I don't understand is that you know when an assassin comes into your room, but not someone who sneaks in and switches your shampoo and conditioner with bleach."

All he did was give me a seriously annoyed look and I dropped the question. It was true though, how had not known? Surely as some as 'inexperienced' as I was wouldn't be able to just go in and pull something like that without him not noticing.

Maybe it was because it was harmless, I had no malovent intentions. When I looked back up at him, he regarded me with shielded eyes and a very disappointed glare.

"What?" I asked, spreading my hands apart, "It's just hair, you can dye it back."

He shook his head, closing his eyes. "It isn't the hair I'm angry about Dante. You pervaded my privacy to pull a childish, pathetic, half-witted prank. You have yet to demonstrate any kind of maturity, at any level. You aren't qualified mentally or physically to continue training under me and until you can grow up and quick being such an insolent infant, then maybe I'll reconsider." He told me in a hard, firm, cold voice.

"But don't run away to sulk just yet, there are things that you and I need to discuss." And with that, he turned his back to me and disappeared into the bathroom.

His words had hurt, very much, and I felt like he had just slapped me hard across the face, and with Sasuke, with the way his voice grew cold with contempt, I would've preferred a slap but what else did I expect him to say? "Oh its alright Dante, its only dye."? Yeah right. It wasn't the names he had called me, or the fact that he insulted my maturity level further by mentioning sulking, but the fact that he would no longer consent to train me.

With that horror on my mind, I began to wonder what Orochimaru and Kabuto would have in store for me when Sasuke told them. I didn't really want to think about it after the stories Kaeda told me, not only from other women, but from personal experience. She had told me how terrifying it was to scream and for nobody to care, how it felt to look down and know where he had cut deep into your flesh all the way down to the bone, but to see no scar…

With a large sigh, I pushed these thoughts out of my mind, and just as I put my head in my hands, the bathroom door opened, Sasuke stepping out and flicking the light off, this time in his deep blue pants. He turned around to stand in front of the table that stood by the door, and I could see that he was wrapping new bandages around his arm that had nearly killed me to stitch and heal.

Due to my 'heinous, moronic and poorly though out attempt at suicide' as Sasuke called it, he decided we should stay for one more night and much to my satisfaction at the time, Kaeda had decided to hit the town while the festival was still going on leaving me and Sasuke alone to talk and by his tone earlier, he wasn't going to let me out of his sight until I gave him answers no matter if I was angry at him or not. The truth was, that I wasn't angry with him, I was angry and ashamed of myself. He was absolutely right.

Finishing his binding, he walked over and sat across from me, rubbing his forehead, his eyes closed and his lips pursed. His white shirt lay on the bed next to him along with his katana and his shoes sat at the foot of the bed. As I looked around I realized that Sasuke kept everything perfectly immaculate, no wrinkles marred the perfectly made bed, nothing lay stray on the thick white carpet, no flecks showed in the wall of windows behind us and all the dresser tops were spotless. The only place where dust even remotely existed was the dust motes I could see floating lazily in the sunlight streaming through the window from the setting sun.

I can't say it surprised me. He didn't seem like the messy type what so ever. He was so by-the-book when it came to keeping a clean space that I don't think he even knew how to be messy.

We didn't talk for a time, I sat staring at the darkening sky behind him and he rested his palm on his forehead, his shoulders rising and dropping with his quiet breathing.

Softly and gradually, the warm, prickly sensation subsided and returned to the cool silky feeling I knew and loved, so he was no longer angry at me.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think it would upset you so much." I finally murmured, my eyes avoiding his, but I could see him open them to regard me with crimson eyes.

"Why doesn't my Sharingan work on you?" He asked, completely ignoring my apology. Well, at least he was calm.

I gave him a troubled look and shook my head, turning my gaze to the floor. "Sasuke-san, I honestly don't know. There is nothing that I did here or in my world that can explain it. So you tell me."

He sighed and also shook his head. "It's never happened before, not in all the history of my clan. The Sharingan affects everyone. Nobody has ever been immune to it…until now." He paused and turned his head to look out the windows behind him, his eyes distant as they looked out at the spanning ocean, the sky ablaze with the colors of a setting sun: orange, red, purple, pink, yellow and blue all blended one on top of the other to create a dazzling show of light and color.

"Did Orochimaru do anything to you?" He asked, turning back to me. "When you arrived here. Any type of experimentation? Observation? Anything?"

I shook my head. "No, neither Orochimaru nor Kabuto touched me…yet." I replied, my voice getting softer and softer as I said it, and so by the time I was finished my voice was just above a whisper. Sadness and fear engulfed my stomach which caused tears to sear my eyes and sobs to lodge in my throat but I bit them back and sniffed, lifting my head to blink the tears away and cleared my throat of the sobs. I refused to let him see me cry, because crying showed weakness, immaturity and vulnerability. If I wanted Sasuke to accept me again I would have to grow steel in my soul and let nothing sway me, let nothing break me and kill any weak emotion.

When I opened and closed my eyes a few times to clear the fear from my head, I looked back at him, my eyes just as blank and emotionless.

"What else do you want to know." I half asked, half said.

The sensation listlessly brushing across my skin shifted. It was such a strange feeling, it sort of reminded me of radio stations, how when it's on a certain station its clear and audible and this is what it felt like when Sasuke was calm and normal, but when his emotions changed, even in the slightest, it felt like somebody had switched that station off was just listening to static.

I don't know how else to describe, that's the best comparison I can come up with. But what confused me the most was that I didn't know what it was because whatever emotion he was feeling, it wasn't anger and it was his usual calm and those were his two strongest emotions, his only emotions that I was aware of.

"What makes you think they're going to touch you?" He asked me, his voice a blank slate, but his energy still static. He was hiding something, whether it be a fact, or an emotion.

"Once you let them know that won't be my sensei anymore, they'll do as they please, or Orochimaru will let Kabuto have his way."

Almost immediately after I finished my sentence, Sasuke blurted out: "No. That will not happen." His voice a tad louder then he probably wanted it to be and I was beginning to have an idea of what this new emotion was.

Sasuke closed his eyes and exhaled loudly, and ran a hand through his hideously-colored hair. I'd have to fix that before we got back to sound.

"I may have overreacted. There are things that I…." He didn't finish, cutting himself off before he revealed too much, carved too big a hole in that wall of his.

I knew what this strange emotion was…regret.

After I figured this out, I looked back to him, but didn't remove the shield from eyes just as didn't remove his.

"I will forget this time, so don't be tempted to do anything like this again." He said, covering for his near slip-up. I looked into his eyes that were looking at the floor instead of me, searching and coming up with nothing. He was a master at disguising and masking his face, feelings and true emotions, I would get nowhere.

The silence between us was so absolute that when a there was a loud pounding on the door of the room, it scared the living hell out of me and I jumped off the bed, but Sasuke only looked up, not flinching once and stood, striding over to the door, but before he answered it, he leaned in the look through the peep hole to see who was out in the hall and he cursed softly, stepping away from the door.

He backed up and grabbed me by the wrist to pull me behind him, causing the sensation to explode across my skin, giving me goose bumps. He had an angry look on his face, and reached over across the bed, grabbing his shirt and katana. Without taking his eyes off the door, he slipped on his shoes and shirt, keeping the katana in his hand at the ready.

"What is it?" I asked, looking from the door to him, wondering what could make him act like this.

"We need to leave." He told me and before I could even blink in response to him, he spun around, his hand glowing blue and white with chakra, and shot a perfect Raikiri through the windows, shattering them, taking me around the waist and leaping out the window.

It was only a two story drop and because of my previous experience on the cliff, it wasn't a bad one. Within seconds we landed on the soft sand of the beach and I could hear the crash of the hotel room's door being blown to pieces as whoever it was stormed into the room we had just escaped from.

With his arm still tightly around my waist, he threw up a hand sign and just before we disappeared, the faces of several masked ANBU operatives arrived at the devastated windows.

Only milliseconds and the feelings of moving at an extremely fast pace in complete dark, extreme pressure pushing me ribs into my lungs, crushing the air from my body landed us in a grove of dark trees and Sasuke removed his arm from my waist, causing the sensation to calm considerably.

"Dante, we're going to have to move fast from here because we did not completely evade them and they will be following so I need you to listen to me very carefully." He told me, his voice dead serious and I nodded solemnly.

"Alright, what we're going to do is move through the trees, and to do that you're going to need to learn to channel chakra to your feet and use it propel you forward. Now I know you haven't learned chakra control yet, but now is as good a time as ever. You are going to focus the energy in your body to your feet and only your feet, nothing else understood? After that, once it's focused into the soles of your feet you will be able to move and jump much faster and much higher. Now, come one, try. And be quick about it." He finished his explanation and stood back, eyes scanning the forest around us, waiting for me to get my mind straight.

Okay, if I can't get this he's going to have to carry me and we won't be able to escape them. No pressure or anything.

I closed my eyes and blocked out all other sounds, even Sasuke's breathing. Instead I let myself feel the sensation flowing across my skin, let Sasuke's energy scent calm me and then…after a few seconds of tuning everything else out, I could feel it, the chakra flowing through my body, right next to the veins that carried my blood and I directed it, changing its course from its various directions in my body to the direction of my feet. I can't quite describe how I did this, I just did. It was like breathing, you aren't really sure how you make yourself do it, you just do.

When I opened my eyes I found Sasuke staring expectantly at me, impatience etched all over his face and I nodded, signifying I was ready.

Inclining his head, he said: "Okay, now jump."

I was a little nervous, not knowing how this would go because I wasn't even sure I had done it right, but as soon and I bent my knees and jumped up into the air, aiming a branch high above my head, I found myself a lot higher up then I ever expected to go. Without any struggle, I landed safely on the branch, a smile spreading across my lips.

'Well shit. Look at that." I said as Sasuke joined me on the branch, but he ignored my excitement and glanced over his shoulder before saying "let's go."

Jumping from branch to branch was surprisingly very easy and I really enjoyed it, wanting to faster but deciding against it and keeping pace with Sasuke.

Every so often we stopped and he slowly observed the dark trees with his Sharingan and after the third time we stopped I asked: "Why do we keep stopping? Shouldn't we be moving as fast as we can?"

"No." Sasuke responded immediately. "Stealth is a far more important factor right now. If we were to just crash through the trees, it would be noisy and raise an alarm for our pursuers, alerting them immediately where we are. Use your head Dante, this isn't a training exercise, consider this field work."

I nodded and swallowed, waiting for his nod to keep moving.

We had been traveling for about ten minutes after our last stop and then a sudden though made my stomach constrict.

"What about Kaeda?" I asked him loudly and he threw me a look that said lower-your-goddamn-voice which made me cringe almost.

"She'll be fine." He replied simply, turning his gaze back to the front.

"Well how is she getting back?" I asked, I would be devastated if anything happened to her. We had only left her after all. Heaven knows where she was.

"Kaeda knows the danger of the situation, she can take care of herself. She knows that it would easier for her to travel alone and if it weren't for the fact that you were so inexperienced, you and I would be traveling separate as well." He retorted, and I could only frown, I was still worried.

"Well thanks Sasuke, because that just does wonders for my self esteem." I muttered to him. Boy was he on a confidence crushing roll today.

I had to say that I was glad to be traveling with Sasuke, I felt safe as long as he was around, but even I knew that he wasn't completely invincible, it only seemed that way. Nevertheless, he was my safe zone, my comfort zone. Without him around anymore, I didn't feel safe, I didn't feel right, his absence didn't sit right with me and the fact that he had almost let what was on his mind slip when we were talking earlier and that he forgave me told me that I was getting somewhere, maybe not at a very fast pace, but I was definitely making progress with this wall.

All of a sudden Sasuke stopped abruptly and before I could open my mouth to ask what was wrong shuriken whizzed passed my head, and I screamed, throwing my arms up and losing my balance in the process but before I could plummet to the forest floor, I reached up a desperate hand and thankfully caught hold of the branch.

"Don't let go." Sasuke said down to me and I scowled at him. "I'm hanging from a thousand story tree, why in the hell would I let go?!"

Judging from the way he looked sharply down at me, a slight glare on his face, I had hit a nerve, but as soon as it was there it was gone, and he reached down and wrapped a hand around my wrist, pulling me up with ease and stationing me behind him.

He put his fingers of his right hand to his left wrist and then flung four kunai at three shuriken that were suddenly headed right for us that I somehow missed coming out of the trees. Three of Sasuke's kunai hit the shuriken and deflected them and one continued on into the trees.

From the grunt I heard I knew Sasuke had hit him. The commas of his Sharingan swirled and he said "Stay where you are." before leaving my side and vanished into the trees.

I wanted desperately to follow after him, to help him in any way that I could but I was in no position to. I had no training of any kind to deal with enemy Shinobi, especially unknown Shinobi, so I concluded that I would only get in the way.

Distant sounds of metal clashing rang through the air and before long a shrill scream pierced the air, causing me to cringe. I had never heard such a scream before and I instantly wanted to know what was going on. Was Sasuke winning? Most likely. How many were there? Well, one less judging by that scream.

Abruptly, the sounds of battle ceased completely and I cocked my head, straining my ears to listen for any type of sound in Sasuke's direction and when I heard none, worry began to ebb at my stomach.

Right before I took a step to go after him, a hand grabbed me roughly by the shoulder and spun me around. I came face to face with a masked Shinobi, his face a body covered in what looked like black leather. I could see no skin and no weapons. The only other thing on his body was a headband, which was tied directly across his eyes, and it was blank.

For exactly two seconds, we stood there, staring at each other before he seized me by the waist, throwing me over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes and I screamed his name. The only name that came to my mind.

"SASUKEEE!"

Not five seconds after I had screamed his name, he was there, katana at the ready, rage in his crimson eyes. For a second, relief washed over me, and I reached out toward him…and then he disappeared…along with my relief.


	12. Chapter 11

Organ Traffickers. That's who had taken her. By the shaky descriptions and horrified looks on the people's faces, these strange assailants were quite something. Getting Dante back wasn't going to be as easy as I'd hoped. I had gotten next to nothing on how they could be defeated because no one ever had. They would come, take the young girls in the area, rape and torture them before finally taking their organs. Leaving them wherever the atrocity took place.

Anger boiled hot in my blood as I thought about what they might be doing to Dante. When I got her back, I'd kill them all. Killing wasn't something I was accustomed to doing, but these people…they disgusted me. Or better yet, I'll take them back to Orochimaru and let him have his way with them.

The journey back to Sound took the most of the next two days. I didn't feel like stopping along the way, my appetite was gone and I knew sleep wouldn't come even if I tried. This shouldn't have happened, I shouldn't have let it happen and now she was gone because I had done nothing. I had just stood there while they took her away.

When I sealed the entrance to the underground bunker we were currently stationed in, I was greeted by Kabuto. His smile was large and fake, and his demeanor stiff and tense. Something was wrong.

"Sasuke, you're back, but, where's Dante?" He asked, glancing over my shoulder, as if Dante might be hiding behind me.

"Where's Orochimaru." I said firmly, striding past him. This wasn't any of his business, and as tense and impatient as I already was, if he questioned any more he'd find himself in a very bad situation. My temper had grown very short in the past two days and I wasn't in the mood to deal with nosy lap dogs.

"He's in the library. He expected you back two days ago and he isn't too happy with any of you." Kabuto replied, dropping his smile, and turning to walk the other way. Apparently he had heard the flint in my voice, and decided not to take his chances with anymore questions.

His behavior had been off, but I didn't really care to know the reason. I focused my attention on getting to the library and finding more on the whereabouts of these organ traffickers.

The library was small, but packed with shelves of scrolls and books all crammed together around a small table in the midst of the all chaos. I couldn't possibly imagine what use Orochimaru could have with all those works.

He looked up at me when I entered, his serpentine eyes flashing gold in the firelight.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun. You're a couple of days off schedule as it were. This definitely isn't like you." He told me slowly, that wretched crooked grin on his lips.

"I need to know if you know anything about organ traffickers." I said the minute he finished speaking.

"Why. What happened?" He asked, apparently noticing Dante's absence, as his eyes darted around me and the empty doorway.

"They took Dante and I need to know where they're keeping her."

Mild surprise, and then annoyance crossed his eyes before he closed the book he had been hunched over and moved his arm to a shelf to his right, taking a book that was bound in what looked like dried, preserved human flesh.

"Organ traffickers are among the most elusive rogue ninja that exist. They don't claim a certain village or country." He told me, opening the terrible book. With Dante supposedly being one of his 'most prized possessions' he didn't seem to be in the least bit distress. Suspicion began to ebb at my stomach as he gazed thoughtfully at the demonic-looking volume.

"They have many bunkers and fortresses in all five continents, and the things that are practiced there have only been rumored about. Of course, they recruit many powerful ninja, but they are simply, just one very large clan. When they took Dante-chan, did you notice anything strange about them?"

I narrowed my eyes and folded my arms over my chest. "Everything about them was strange. Their dress, their headbands, their chakra."

Orochimaru nodded and then shook his head. "I've spent years trying to find some kind of information about them, about what abilities they have, but alas I've come up with nothing but this book. The language is strange but from the pictures I can see that all it gives are instructions to rituals and jutsus. Whatever this clan practices, it's darker then anything I've ever come in contact with."

When he finished talking, there was a sort of curious delight and dark fascination mixed with agonizing greed in his eyes that sickened me. How this man could find these people anything but evil and twisted was beyond me.

"Where is the station closest to Crescent Moon Island?" I asked, and he ignored me for a second, running his fingers over the flesh covering of the book, and flipping through the thin, yellowed and crusted pages, harsh-looking lettering and drawings marring each page. It was certainly a gruesome sight to behold.

"Rain Country. Three hundred miles north of Kirigakure, in the highlands." After finishing his sentence, he threw me a side glance.

"You might consider taking some men with you. If these ninja were able to evade me, you can be sure they're going to give you one hell of a fight. I know you like to pride yourself on taking down hundreds at a time but trying to take down a hundred exceptionally skilled Shinobi would only be suicide."

"I'm going alone." I replied, and turned my back to him to start on my excursion.

"Sasukie-kun." He said slowly, "I insist."

I ground my teeth, and shut my eyes. I was not in any mood to deal with his goddamn polite condescension and constant insisting.

"They'll only get in the way. If I take any men with me I'll only be signing their death warrants. I'm sure you wouldn't want your new Sound five to be killed after such a short time here in Sound I wouldn't think, because I will take no one else."

By the drawn out sigh I heard escape Orochimaru's lips behind me, I knew I had won and without giving a backward glance, or waiting to hear anymore, I reached behind me and pulled the door shut.

Killing Orochimaru would have to wait for a while. The transfer wasn't for another six months and by then, I'd have Dante back and have her trained enough to fair well in a decent fight. At least that was my plan. But looking back on previous experience, things never went according to plan.

I only stopped every two days for a few hours sleep and any meal I could find on the street shops. Even stopping as little as I did, I'd have rather just gone straight through, but my body wouldn't permit it. I would go as long as I could before exhaustion, low chakra levels and hunger and thirst pains forced me to lodge.

As I drew deeper and deeper into Rain country, toward Kirigakure, the sky soon became permanently overcast and rain seemed to fall eternally. I got to the point where I felt like if I stayed in this rain any longer, I would forget what it felt like to be dry.

After the first week of hurried travel, I stopped in a small village just a couple miles east of Kirigakure. I knew going around the village would take me much longer, but I didn't want to deal with trying to go through the village, it was nigh impossible to get through the gates and if you did it took days to get through customs.

The village was dirty and boisterous. The people hurried about their business, children shouted and played in the streets, pick-pocketing whenever they saw the chance. Venders haggled with customers on every corner over rotted food and month-old fish. Men lay in shop doors and gutters, sake bottles at their lips, their clothes shabby and a very visible coat of grime and filth covering their skin and hair.

Whores and heavily made-up women lay with men on balconies, their necklines plunging low and their skirts hiked up almost to the point of indecency. I frowned in dismay. If I had known what a hell hole this town was, I wouldn't have stopped here.

As the sun went down, the place grew even louder and lively. Women squealed, men bellowed, children screamed, bottles shattered, tavern music blared, insults flew and fights broke out everywhere.

Deciding to try and ignore the towns vices, I picked my way though the crowds, women giving me seductive smiles and men shooting me glares. Children ran around my feet and animals ran as rampant as the children, leaving their bodily filth in the streets after them.

I wanted nothing more than to leave this disgusting town and be on my way, the stench of the place was suffocating and noise was overwhelming, but I didn't have the chakra nor did I have the energy to continue another night. Spotting a decent-looking inn, I hastily made my way to it, and stood in line for a room.

Even in here, sake bottles passed from hand to hand and cigarette smoke lay heavy in the air. As the line gradually moved up, grunts and moans coming from my left drew my attention to a man and a woman in a doorway. I immediately averted my eyes, the woman was obviously a whore and the man was certainly getting his moneys worth… in plain view of everyone.

The place annoyed the hell out of me, I just didn't understand how these people could be so immoral and so undignified. There was absolutely no sense of decency anywhere in this village. Hedonism was obviously the only religion practiced here.

Giving the man a few thousand yen, I swiped the key off the desk and quickly made my way up the stair case to my left. Along the way, I could feel the eyes of women and men alike, staring into my back as I walked past them down the hall.

"You look pretty lonely mister. Want some company? My prices are rather high, but for you I think I could lower them by a reasonable amount." A blonde woman in a low cut kimono breezed to me when I stopped outside my door. It was obvious that everyone in this town were exactly the same, all the men engaged in these disgusting practices.

I promptly ignored the woman and shut and locked my door behind me, glad the thick wood blocked out the noise from outside.

I didn't bother to strip down because I wanted leave as soon as I woke, the only thing I removed was my Katana, leaning it against the bed-side table where I could get to it quickly should the need arise.

Alas, sleep did not come easy. Every time I finally fell asleep, nightmares plagued me. I would again be in my parents home, seeing their bodies lying before me, the stench of blood strong in the air. But this time, it wasn't Itachi who stood over them. This time, eerie men in full-body leather suits with blank headbands leaned over them, their hands groping in the cavernous holes in my parent's chests, pulling out dark masses that I didn't have any wish to see.

Just before a scream escaped my lips, I jolted awake, a cold sweat misted over my skin, and my eyes watering. From fear or anger I couldn't distinguish. The dreams only made me hate these unknown assailants even more. Not only had they taken Dante and were doing God knows what to her, now they were invading my dreams and brutalizing my parents.

After my third try at unsuccessful sleep, I gave up and grabbed my Katana and strode out the door and down the stairs, dropping my key off at the front desk.

"That wasn't a very long stay…." The concierge told me, but before he could say more, I was already out and into the streets.

Tired of walking in garbage and filth, I jumped onto a bakery and took the rooves out of town. Once trees loomed high over me, and the altitude increased, I felt much better. It was like the fresh air was cleansing me.

I had always preferred night travel. It was quieter, safer and cooler. I had never been a person who was afraid of what hid in the shadows that surrounded me because most of the time, it was I who hid, and I was the thing people feared.

Unlike my mentor, I had never enjoyed long, drawn out fights. Seeing the abilities of my opponents couldn't matter less to me. So when kunai sped toward me, I kept my pace and just before I reached this lowly bandits hiding spot, I veered to the left, so that I went around the back of him. I unsheathed my katana, threw a good swipe at his legs, severed his hamstrings and sheathed my sword all without losing my course or skipping a beat.

The scream that echoed behind me was a delayed one. I had hit him so fast, he hadn't realized what happened until I was already a good fifty meters away.

As I delved deeper and higher into the mountains, the forest grew denser, and traveling through the lower branches became nearly impossibly. As I transcended to the higher canopy, I began to hear the screams.

They came from all sides, north, south east and west. They were high, shrill and constant. One right after the other and most overlapping. They weren't screams of fright, no. They were screams of terrible agony. The kind that only ruthless torture could produce. I had heard these kinds of screams before, in the third-level chambers of the sound village, where all of Orochimaru's experimentations took place. I was close.

My speed turned to stealth as the screams grew louder closer.

Before long I spotted a dark, high wall not thirty meters from me. Huge torches flickered at the top of wall where I could see sentries lurking about. The only doorway I could see was a twenty foot tall metal gate that led to darkness.

I activated my Sharingan and found two underground tunnels near the doorway that were sealed closed. Probably to keep the prisoners from escaping so that option was out. From the look of how the sentries walked aross the wall, the entire top of the fortress was flat, so I couldn't go over the wall. There were no windowns, no vents, nothing. I was just one huge stone fortress.

There was one way in and one way out. This complicated things.


	13. Chapter 12

"I want Itachi's eyes…"

"I'm going to use everything I have to crush Naruto…"

"and I will repudiate him utterly…"

"….that's all."

It was his voice. The only voice it could be was his. No other sounded the same. No other voice flowed and had that same rich dominance that his had. But…there was something else in it…it was darker, more profound. And then, there was something missing…something I couldn't describe…

Why was I hearing this? Was Sasuke here? Where was I? What happened to me? All these questions spun through my head as I floated in endless darkness. Nothing existed around me but dark, but soundless nothing.

I suddenly became very afraid of this silent, endless span of starless night. And then I remembered something that Sasuke had me told back in Sound during one of our training sessions..

"Your fears should not exist in dark, but in smoke because smoke is denser and can hold much more. Light cannot be seen in smoke if smoke is thick enough, but even the smallest flicker of light can be seen even in total darkness."

After this quote went through my head, the darkness became much less menacing. As I pictured Sasuke's face it was like…the darkness became Sasuke…dark, mysterious, silent, calm, thoughtful, pondering, able to say so many things without so much as uttering a single word, at times very intense and frightening, at other times lost and confused….and so I found comfort in this darkness that filled all the space around me.

Gradually and regretfully, my darkness began to lighten. Colors blurred together and faint sounds reached my ears.

"She is waking. Shush now, give her a bit of room please." A soft, soprano voice said very slowly. "I'm very pleased you have brought her to me without much trouble. However, I feel Uchiha Sasuke will not let this pass lightly. A stubborn one he is, so watch for him, and do away with him. You are free to depart now."

I knew this should've distressed me, but I felt numb in both mind and body. I felt like I was coming out of some kind of anesthetic or drug-induced sleep.

The colors soon became much more distinct as did the sounds and the room became clearer. The sound of multiple foot steps and a door closing sounded so distant, I almost didn't hear it. Above me was a deep crimson cloth, silk most likely from the way it shone. It looked as though it were the top of a canopy because I was laying on something very soft and cushioned, which I presumed was a bed. From the flickering shadows and dim light, I knew it was candles and torches that lit the room. The air was heavy with the aroma of roses and cinnamon spice along with the smoke of some other kind of incense.

Suddenly, a man's face appeared over me, his features hazy and indistinct in the firelight but as leaned down closer, they cleared.

When his face was clear of shadows, my breath caught. I was face to face with someone who had extraordinary personal beauty. Not the kind that Sasuke had, this man's features were more beauteous then handsome. The lines and proportions of his face were softer, more feminine but still had that slight masculinity to them.. His skin was pale and flawless. His hair was long-ish and was a sort of…ashy blonde, I didn't even know if such a shade was even possible. His bangs were fashionably styled back so he had a very refined look. His eyes were a stormy gray, but I found them very warm. His features were just incredibly soft and perfect. His nose was slender and long. His lips were a pale pink and curved up in a small smile. Not a single blemish or wrinkle marred his flawless, alabaster skin. He was utterly magnificent.

Of course he couldn't compare to Sasuke simply because they were two completely different kinds of beautiful. Sasuke was terribly handsome and good-looking but he was a lot more masculine and fierce. This man was beautiful in a kind of angelic way. He was the type that if he were a woman, he'd be almost inhumanly stunning.

"Who are you?" I managed out in a small whisper, which was all I found I could muster up.

"My name is Loren Marquis my dear." He replied in an equally soft voice.

Loren Marquis? That sounded like a French name, certainly not like anything around here. What in the world was going on?

"Your name is odd." I told him without really thinking about it.

"Yes, but so is yours. Dante? Am I correct?" When I nodded, he went on. "You, my dear, are not the only one from your world to find yourself here. I have spent nearly my entire life here, happened upon it one day at the lake when I was young. I swam out too far and couldn't keep myself above water. I had never much liked swimming lessons you see, so I sunk below the waters and I sunk so deep that light became very dim and I feared I was drowning. When I passed out, I woke up here, on a wet, muddy ground, rain falling all around me and drenching my body. How and why I am here is still unknown to me, but when I heard about you, I couldn't resist."

His voice was as beautiful as his face. I also noticed that he had a very distinct British accent and was wearing a white button up as well as black slacks. Shining black dress shoes covered his feet and the first two buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned. Around the upper part of his arms were black bands. I didn't really know what they were for, but I remembered seeing men in the twenties and thirties wearing them. How old was this man?

"Where am I?" I questioned in the same quiet whisper. The moment I saw his face, I trusted him. I knew it wasn't wise, but he had that kind of face. The kind of face that could potentially make him the most dangerous man alive, he might even give Sasuke a run for his money. I didn't know why, but I knew he meant me no ill will…. at the time being at least.

When I asked him this question, he leaned back laid next to me, his hands resting above his diaphragm.

"You are in my estate. In Fire Country." He said, turning his head to look at me.

"Why did you take me away from Sasuke?"

"Because my dear, you and I are the same. Both outcasts from a world beyond this one. You didn't belong with him."

I closed my eyes at his answer. He was wrong, I did belong with Sasuke, I didn't want to stay here. This was all incredibly confusing and strange and I began to wonder if I was dreaming.

"He'll come after me." I replied after a few minutes. Though this man wasn't threatening, (at the moment. I was pretty sure he could be very threatening). I didn't feel right here. When Goosebumps broke out across my arms, I looked down to see that I had on a lavender satin gown . It stopped at my knees and had thin straps. Intricate embroidery decorated the front and diamonds were woven into the threads. It was very beautiful, but it vexed me to know they had undressed me.

When he turned his head again and saw my expression, he laughed a rich, lofty laugh and said: "Oh don't worry, a couple of chambermaids did that. It would have been improper for a man to do it."

"He'll come for me." I repeated myself and this time he answered me.

"Not here. I hired Organ Traffickers to retrieve you. Very reliable men. He'll look there, at least first. The men there are being paid very well to keep their mouths shut and even if he does find that you are with me, I'll be alerted at once and we will relocate."

"He'll find me. You can't keep me here. I don't want to stay. I think you're underestimating him."

When he turned his head again, his expression was sad. "I understand that, but if I let you free now, you'll never make it to him on your own. You'll be killed before you even reach the Fire Country border. At least allow me to train you."

I gave him a strange look before looking away. "Train me? What in the world was he after then if he intended to let me go? I had never been so confused in my life.

My lavender gown was traded in for black training shots and tank top and I pulled my long black hair into a ponytail. Although my whole ordeal with this Loren person was very shady and confusing, I went along with whatever he said, because I knew it wouldn't be long before Sasuke found out where I was and that would be it.

Loren said he had heard about me but he didn't say anything about knowing anything about me. He must've known I had ninja ability because of my travels with Sasuke, but I didn't think he knew about my ability. I had been here for a week now and the last two days I had spent not resting, but meditating, training myself to his presence and the feel of his energy.

His energy soft and warm, but there were times when it turned cold and slick so I was wary of him. I didn't know anything about him but what he had told me, and that hadn't been much, only how he got here. He never mentioned anything about himself, only asked about me. How I got along with Sasuke, what Orochimaru was like, how my life was before all of this…of course I answered him, but my answers were short and abrupt but if he didn't like it, he didn't show any signs.

He was a very calm person and didn't bother or hover around me. There was a strange look on his whenever I caught him staring. It wasn't a kind, soft look. It was analyzing, observing….dark. I knew he was hiding something, maybe something very big, and potentially very dangerous, but once I looked up at him, that strange look disappeared in an instant and was replaced with a very warm smile.

Even as large and sprawling this estate was, there were no servants. I couldn't feel anyone else in the entire place but me and him.

But, whenever I ventured into some parts of the estate, I got the strangest feeling. Instead of a buzzing, it felt like sticky, freezing mist brushed across my skin and I got a sick feeling in my stomach and if I stayed in the hall, room or stairway for too long, I feared would puke. I had no idea what it was, but it was the worst feeling, and those places I felt it in, I avoided.

The more I wandered around the place, the more secrets and shadows I began feel it had. There was something dark here, something I couldn't explain. It was a heavy presence throughout the estate, even in the gardens. During the first two days, I would have nightmares that I could never remember, and I would jolt awake, sweating and my body felt extremely fatigued and cold.

However, Loren didn't seem to notice any of this, but he didn't have my ability….I didn't think.

After most of my hair was pulled back except for my bangs, I nodded at myself in the mirror. As I observed myself, I noticed that all of the physical conditioning Sasuke had made me do really had an affect. My muscles were distinct and my stomach was flat and when I moved I could see the muscles underneath the skin shifting. After shaking my head at my moment of conceit, I walked out of the small dressing room and onto the training ground, where Loren waited, sitting in a chair across the way, a cup of tea in his hand.

As I approached him, his eyes moved to meet me and he smiled.

"Ah, Dante. You're ready I presume?" He asked, standing up. When I nodded he gave me a curt nod back and glided past me, dropping his shirt.

The second he turned to face me, was the exact moment the sun hit the horizon and the sky exploded with fiery color. The effect of a flaming sky, the bright light of the setting sun and Loren's beauty was breath-taking. The light rushed across his pale skin, warming it and causing it to almost glow. His blue-gray eyes looked like a piercing violet and the dim-bright sunlight brought out the ashy-gold highlights in his hair.

I hadn't expected him to be the fighting sort but his physique spoke for itself. There was no doubt the man had training, and to survive in this world, some form of self-defense was a must.

"Come now Dante, you mustn't hesitate in open battle, it may just be the end of you." He told me in firm voice and gestured for me to stand opposite of him, which I did.

"Just how far did you get while you were with Sasuke?" He asked, walking in slow circles around me, taking wide, sweeping steps, hands behind his back.

I stood there with my eyes closed, feeling his energy, ready for any move he might make.

"Far enough." I replied this answer just as vague as I always was when speaking to him. He was quiet for a few seconds, and then he lashed out.


	14. Chapter 13

Dispatching the sentries atop the wall had been no difficult feat, a quick fling of my wrist and a flash of metal and they were down, hit too hard and fast to even utter a sound, all of them were dead before they hit the ground. Killing the sentries had been my only option; I certainly wasn't going to use the front door. Because they had been standing watch atop the wall, there had to be an entrance to the fortress there and I leapt from my perch in the trees to the wall, striding past the bodies, and activating my Sharingan.

The door was located in the far right of the roof, and I slipped through it, coming to a stone spiral staircase, lit by torchlight. Carefully, I descended the stairs, listening for any kind of movement, any sign someone was approaching. There was none.

Once I reached the bottom, the screams grew louder, more intense, but I was met with no opposition, the halls were deserted, I assumed the men were all too busy in their disgusting practices and too sure of their own defenses to patrol the halls. However, noting the massive size of the place, finding Dante was going to be an arduous task, especially if I wanted to stay undetected.

I wasn't certain if my Sharingan would be able to see the heat registers of the people behind the doors, and if it could, then finding her might not be so difficult.

I ventured through the halls, the heat signatures were faint, but discernible and after two hours of searching and finding nothing, I came upon the last hall. I had gotten about half way down when a voice spoke behind me.

"You, halt."

I stopped, but didn't turn to face him. I waited until he grew closer before I whipped around and slid a kunai into the skin under his jaw. With a soft gurgle he crumpled to the ground, and I continued on my way. The guard hadn't been unusual like the traffickers I had come in contact with when Dante was abducted. That meant they either were not here, or they were the ones in the rooms, performing the torture.

At the end of the final hall, there was a flight of stairs, having no other option, I took it. On the landing there was a short hall and then a single door that opened to an armory whose walls and tables were lined with ordinary weaponry as well wicked looking weapons and tools whose use I could only begin to imagine. Adjoining the armory was a medium sized map room, which I paid little attention to.

I ventured out of the armory and closed the door behind me. I shut my eyes and clenched my jaw. She wasn't here. If not here, then where? Finding answers would mean a fight, and I these traffickers were to type to die before relaying information to the enemy. I began to make my way back to the other side of the building, to the flight of stairs that led to the door a top the fortress, only sticking to the shadows, and taking extreme caution. As I rounded a corner, voices floated over to me, and I stopped to listen.

"We're as much prisoners as those broads behind the doors. Never gonna leave, and you'd best realize that." A deep male voice said in a low tone.

"I know. But what about that girl they brought a few days ago? Why was she taken away? I thought once they were here, they were never supposed to leave?"

The second voice wasn't as deep, suggesting adolescence, obviously a new recruit. I remained silent and still, listening intently.

The man sighed heavily before answering.

"She's special. I don't know why, they don't give me no reasons; alls' I know is she's special to the big boss. The lackey's only stopped here to check in and for supplies. They're taking her to Fire Country."

"Why Fire?" The boy interrupted.

"That's where the boss lives. She's the second one now that they've taken. He needs 'em for some special reason. He's in line with the Daimyou, they run this biz, hand in hand. There's big bucks in the black market."

I had heard enough, stepping out from the shadows; I made quick business with them and had my katana back in its sheath before they hit the ground.

I did my best to keep my flaring anger in check, but it was slipping out, I didn't want to make my presence known, but the things that were going on here were disgusting and unignorable and I was going to do something about it.

The fortress had held no answers, only more questions. Dante hadn't been there and in my anger I had killed them all, the odd traffickers themselves were completely absent. It had been a dire mistake and now I had no way of knowing the location of any of the other hideouts, and couldn't tap into their minds to see if any of them had knowledge of her true whereabouts.

I cursed and wiped my katana on the body of a dead shinobi and replaced it in its sheath. Where I would go from here I didn't know, and I'd be damned it were going to go back to Orochimaru for help like some helpless child.

I worked for about ten minutes setting up barriers around a small clearing about fifty yards from the fortress and set up camp. I was far too exhausted to continue for another night, not to mention I needed to figure out which direction I needed to go and right now I was facing a brick wall. This entire ordeal thoroughly pissed me off.

Feeling the adrenaline from the anger and battle begin to wear off, I sat beneath an ancient ash, feeling the deep ache of exhaustion and over use of chakra settle into my bones. Not knowing what else to do, I went over the facts. Dante had been taken from Crescent Moon Island nearly a week ago by organ traffickers; a deadly faction with God knows how many hideouts. Upon returning to Oto to seek information from Orochimaru I found out their nearest bunker was here in in Water country. A thorough search of the fortress had turned up nothing but more dead ends and more questions. Questions I couldn't answer because I had killed all my chances of discovering the answers.

Despite looking at it at every angle I could think of, nothing jumped out at me, absolutely nothing. I felt the flare of hot anger boil up again and I massaged my temples, trying to ward off the massive headache I could feel building up.

Evening soon turned to night and humid heat turned to raw cold, but I didn't care. I didn't bother to try and build a fire, or get any sleep; my mind was far too detached, too caught up in finding a solution. I went over everything replayed every moment in my head again and again, from when we launched ourselves out the window of that hotel to the moment I killed the last of the shinobi and released the prisoners. And then it hit me. The two ninja, before I had taken care of them, they had been talking about a girl brought to the fortress but then taken somewhere else. They had mentioned the Daimyou of the Fire Country. Could they have been talking about Dante? There was a good chance, but did I take the risk? I would have to there was no other option, no other lead. I hadn't paid much attention the men's conversation because I hadn't thought it relevant.

If I left in the morning, it would take me four days to reach Fire, however if I left now I could cut it down a day. I had rested for a good two hours already, but my chakra levels were still dwindling, if I were to run into trouble…

I didn't think taking care of general patrol ninja would take too much effort, but this was Fire, highly dangerous territory and I was at the top of the bingo book. Going behind enemy lines would take some planning. Running after a lead I wasn't one hundred percent sure of could cause some real trouble and if Tsunade had ANBU patrolling the border—and no doubt she did—on account of the Akatsuki threat, I'd have to seek a map and single out blind spots. If the shift change schedule had stayed the same, I could enter during a squad change, but it would have to be very precise, I'd have to enter and be out of ANBU range undetected within two minutes . It would be difficult, but not impossible.

I sighed and got to my feet. I circled the clearing and released the barriers before making my way back to the fortress. There had been that map room and I was confident they'd have detailed maps of Fire.

The building was still and silent, the only sound was my shoes against the concrete. The map room had taken much less time to reach since I didn't need to move with caution any longer. Upon reaching the room, I scanned it. Huge maps of individual countries as well as world maps covered the walls. They varied from road maps to showing climate patterns.

Shelves upon shelves were full of scrolls, most likely individual cities, ranging from small to relatively large. It must've taken years to amass this kind of collection.

Above the large table that stood against the far wall were intricately detailed maps of the five major countries. Fire, Wind, Water, Earth and Lightning. Striding over I pulled the Fire map from the wall and spread it out on the table. I ran my eyes along the border, making note of regular shinobi stations as well as possible new ones. I then turned my attention to the cities, starting at Konoha and working my way out, searching for Kaname, the Daimyou's residential city.

Luckily the city was as far from Konoha as was allowed, it was about five kilometers from the western border. This might be easier than I suspected.

Having all the information I needed, I folded up the map and tucked it under my shirt, with the possibility I would need it later. I traveled the route I had used to get here, avoiding that shit hole of a village and Amegakure and stopped in a small lake side village for provisions and couple hours sleep before starting on my way again. Within the next day and a half I had reached the border of Fire and Rain and slowed my pace.

I took up watch in a tree, just short of the border itself, awaiting a merchant or a farmer transporting goods. Entering without a strong henge would be suicide. If I entered Fire country as I was, there'd be no doubt I'd be recognized. I even strayed from the larger villages in Rain with the possibility I'd be recognized, because Konoha was powerful enough to force and extradition should I be captured.

At sunset a merchant, leading a cart and a mule meandered by and I waited until he was few yards past my station before I ambushed him and snared him under the Sharingan.

"What's you name." I questioned, and he stared back at me with blank eyes and a drawn expression.

"Kuro, Meng."

"Do you have your transportation and customs papers?"

"Yes."

And with that, I released the hypnosis Justus and he collapsed to the ground. I pulled him and cart from the road, back into denser wood, where we wouldn't be seen.

Before I began the process of a third level henge, I searched his pack, finding the necessary papers inside and then stripped him of his clothes and changed, hiding my own under the large packs of feed. Once the sun had set, and night fell I began the justu. Because it was a third level henge, it would take nearly four hours to complete because of the depth of the illusion, even at my advanced level.

Four hours later, I removed my hand from the man's face, and brought it to my own. The change was solid. My skin was the color of cinnamon and my hair only a few shades darker and cropped short. I waited until morning before I emerged from the trees, leading the cart and mule with me. After I had finished the justu, I had snapped the man's neck and left him for the vultures. As much as I'd have preferred not to kill him, I couldn't have risk him exposing me.

Once I passed the border, I was stopped by Hidden Leaf ANBU, as suspected. One wore the mask of a hawk and the other, a dog. They appeared in the road a few feet ahead of me, and approached.

"Ah, Meng how good to see you!" The man in the dog mask shouted, giving me a good slap on the back.

I nodded in response and smiled, hoping they'd do most of the talking.

"I take it you had some good sales this year?" The hawk mask asked this time.

Again I nodded, "Not too bad, things have been steady."

Both men nodded, and dog mask spoke again.

"Well Meng, we hate to ask you every time, but we do need to see those identification papers and transport permits, standard procedure, you understand." Dog mas said in a thoughtful voice.

Meng had obviously been to Fire many times, and nodding, I pulled the papers from the pack and handed them over.

"Of course, there you are." I replied.

Skimming over them and nodding, he handed them back.

"Everything's in order, like usual, we'll let you be on your way. Say hello to the wife and kids when you get home."

And with that they were gone. I wondered if Meng's family would question Fire when he didn't return home. I didn't worry about for very long, he was a merchant, he traveled for six months out of the year, it would be a while before they noticed anything awry.

I had five kilometers to cover and walking speed. What a tedious task, but necessary, I judged it would take me until probably midday to reach Kaname.

The city was beautiful and well kept, which wasn't a surprise since it was the home of the nobles and seat of feudal power. Customs hadn't taken long to get through, Meng was very well known and very well liked apparently. The lady had barely glanced at them before handing them back and telling me to go ahead in with a smile.

Pulling the cart into a small side street next to a stable, I put my clothes in the pack and tied the katana to my waist, a merchant with a weapon wasn't uncommon, they had to have protection against bandits. I unhitched the mule from the cart and left it in the stable before I made my towards the Daimyou's palace.

I decided I would start there, I didn't have many details and there were virtually no questions I could ask, this black market, organ trafficking that the Daimyou was involved in wouldn most definitely not be public knowledge.

After about a ten minute walk, the palace loomed, tacky and lavish. People milled about in expensive clothing, chatting about the weather or the next council meeting. I scanned the areas around the palace but found nothing that caught my eye.

I took a small patch leading up and away from the palace, towards a smaller, but no less grand manor atop a hill in the distance. The path was lined with Sakura trees, already in full bloom, the scent sweet and mild in the air, and petals littering the ground.

As I drew closer and closer to the house, I wasn't sure what it was that drew me to it, but it was somehow different, somehow…strange. The architecture was slightly different from the rest of the manors and estates in the city, it was very subtle, but I noticed nonetheless.

As I walked along the garden fence, movement caught my eye. A girl, with her back to me, was practicing a session of yoga beneath a plum tree, her movements fluid, lithe and graceful. Her hair was dark and long, reaching her lower back. Completing a set of exercises, she stood and turned, bending down to pick something up from the grass.

She pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail, and then cast her gaze up, straight at me.

My breath caught in my lungs and my eyes widened. Her eyes were clear, sharp, and the color of liquid gold.


	15. Chapter 14

"My lord, the Daimyou has requested your audience tomorrow morning." A servant said softly, handing Loren Marquis a scroll, and with a bow, retreated to stand beside the door, awaiting instruction.

"An audience, whatever for?" He asked, taking the smoking cigarette from his mouth and resting it on the edge of an ashtray next to him, and undid the seals that held the document closed.

As he skimmed over the Daimyou's hurried, barely discernible scrawl, his expression darkened. That damn Uchiha, still alive and meddling. Apparently he had taken the Ame fortress, killing everyone and releasing all the prisoners. When the lackey's had returned to take up their command once more, they found an empty building, littered with dead bodies and still with death. Had he learned of her location? There was no way, his men would have died before they spoke a single word, and they would've had no choice. He had cast a jutsu that automatically forced them to take their own lives should they be captured or interrogated. No one could learn of his organization or the Daimyou's involvement and so Loren had taken had taken measures.

He stared silent and angry at the scroll. Of course, how could he have not seen this coming? Uchiha Sasuke was a force to be reckoned with, and no doubt had consulted Orochimaru, that repulsive, parasite of a man who never learned to keep his nose out of anything. Seeking power that he only wished he could possess. It was sickening. Now there was the issue of relocating, he was doubtful Sasuke knew of their whereabouts, his men were bound by unbreakable vows, however…No, he was sure, they would stay, and he would discuss the matter with the Daimyou in the morning.

"Send word to the Daimyou to expect my presence, and fetch Dante will you, I need to speak with her," He addressed Kaya, his favorite servant. She bowed with understanding and left, sliding the door closed behind her.

Dante. How she'd changed, how he'd made her change. The confused innocence was gone, replaced by cold indifference. She had turned from light and airy, to dark and solemn. Her eyes, and abilities were sharp and attentive, they took in everything, but revealed nothing. She had gone from nearly powerless, to nearly black ops level in the space of two weeks. He had discovered a jutsu, a genjutsu, which allowed him to 'pause time', the user and the victim could remain in the jutsu for what could feel like years, but only be days in reality, and everything that he taught her, everything he had told her, she had kept, retained through the bleeding effect. Of course, she hadn't noticed the difference when he had released the jutsu, the days were the same to her. As for her memories, he had put a block on them, he hadn't been able to erase them completely as he had wanted, because it was far too risky, erasing memories was like picking all the chocolate chips out of a cookie, there would always be bits and pieces left, and Dante was smart enough to piece all the fragments together.

He resealed the scroll and threw it into the fire, he couldn't let Dante get a hold of it, it might affect the binds he had on her memories and that was the last thing he needed. Just a few more days and he could commence, Dante had been the final piece, now he awaited the solstice.

Hearing the door open, he turned from the fire to see Dante saunter into the room, not bothering to close the door. Her eyes were locked on him as she passed, and sat in the middle of the duvet, draping her arms across the back and crossing her legs.

"You wanted to see me." Her voice was low and rich, yet another thing that had changed. As he observed her, he couldn't help but marvel at how so very different she was; completely separate from who she used to be. The Dante Chadwick he had stolen no longer existed, and in her place was a darker, far more powerful Dante, whose regard for human life and emotion had been eroded away. Her colorful array of expressions had disappeared, and the life that had filled her eyes, was now gone. Those golden pools were as cold and blank as her face, those eyes, which had held so much, now held nothing. Yet at the same time, they were piercing, when she looked at you, it was like you could feel those eyes burning straight through you, straight to your soul, where nothing was secret, nothing was safe and nothing was sacred. Those eyes bared you, pinned you down and never let you back up. They suffocated you and held you tight, only letting go when she felt she had seen enough.

"Yes, my captains, they keep dying on me Dante." He told her and she blinked and shrugged a shoulder.

"Why does that matter concern me? You give me no one to spar with; it isn't my fault you can't come by stronger ninja." She retorted, eyes still concentrated on his. She knew he was hiding something, and those eyes searched relentlessly, trying to find whatever it was, and he admitted, he had a hard time keeping his mind closed off. He could feel her pushing against his energy, feeling for a weak spot to pick at until she gained access.

"Is that all? My weapons supply is low and I need to go the blacksmiths. Those asshole guards of your think it's okay to steal whatever they need, if I find they've been in my room one more time I'll kill the lot of them. You'd best warn them Loren, they're games have gotten old they end today."The slight pushing had stopped, and she took her gaze from him and padded to the door.

"Well?" She asked, her voice lined with nodded and waved his hand,

"Fine, fine, that's all."

He sat and ran his hands through his hair. The solstice was fast approaching, and he had wanted this for so long, he had worked so hard…but he no longer knew…could he do it? Could he really kill her? The others, they hadn't gotten as close as she had, they didn't know him like she did. They didn't understand like Dante. She saw where all the others had been blind. They may have all been the same, but she couldn't have been more unique. Was it really worth her life? She held so much promise, so much potential in this world, he couldn't take that away could he? He almost wished Sasuke would show up and ruin everything, just so he wouldn't have to go through with it. Maybe he should just release the binds, and let her go. Besides, was there really a life to go back to? What was really left for him after so long?

He sighed and got up, walking over the bar and pouring himself a glass of sake. Whatever he decided, it needed to be done before the solstice, when there'd be no going back.

Loren could be quite irritating. His mood swings were old and his mysterious behavior as of late, even older. As long as I've been with him, he's never hidden anything from me, at least, he's never let on that he's hiding anything. But lately, when he looks at me, I can see it, flashing behind his eyes, I just can't figure out what it is. His energy is unbalanced and off, and he blocks me when he's never blocked me before.

I made a note to confront him about it once I returned to the estate. Glancing over my shoulder at the setting sun, I quickened my pace, the blacksmiths closed at nightfall. I hastened my way through the streets, pulling up my hood and avoiding any kind of contact with anybody. If they closed before I got there I would be pissed.

I never made it. I was passing a deserted alley way just as the last of the sun's rays dipped below the horizon, and darkness fell, like somebody had blown out the last candle. Somebody darted out of the alley, grabbed my arm and pulled me into the dark, tight space. They gripped my shoulders and had me pinned against the hard stone wall. I tried to fight, but the moment my eyes locked with a pair of burning crimson, I ceased trying. There was something so…familiar, so…magnetic about those eyes. I felt the tight pull of familiarity but I just couldn't place them. My emotions and thoughts ran wild, and I just couldn't figure out why. I felt sadness, relief, anger, happiness, and guilt but had no idea where any of this was coming from.

" Why didn't you tell me…I don't expect the same mistakes twice…My Sharingan doesn't work on you…What are you…Don't ever do anything like that again…promise me."

His voice rang in my head, a hundred words, all jumbled together in a massive moving mess.

I know you. I know your eyes.

I had dreamt about those eyes, about that voice. I remembered now, for so long, I dreamt about those eyes. But why?

"Dante?"

This strange person asked me, and with the sound of his voice, so smooth, so strong, the pull of familiarity grew stronger. How did he know my name?

"Who are you?" I breathed. So overcome with emotions -that I didn't even understand- to use a louder tone.

Finally, the boy released his grip and pulled us out of the shadows. Once the moonlight hit his face, I could only stare. This had to have been the most glorious boy I had ever seen, even though I was positive I'd seen him before…I mean Loren was beautiful, but he was just that, beautiful. This boy, he was…hard edged, masculine, dark, and gorgeous. And his energy, it was unlike anything I had ever felt before, it just...drew me in. It was like some kind of gravitational force, impossible to ignore and impossible to resist. I repeated my question.

His eyebrows pulled together, and he spoke.

"It's me Dante, it's Sasuke."

Sasuke. Where had I heard that before? Why in the hell was he so familiar?! And why was I so powerless to fight against him? I was positive I'd seen him before, and I was positive I hadn't. What in the world was going on?

"Don't you remember? What has he done to you." He spoke again, his voice taking on a darker, angrier tone.I shook my head, I didn't know what to say, I didn't even know what to think.

As I looked at him, I was overcome with a deep sadness, like I had lost something precious to me, but didn't know what it was, like I was missing someone I had never met, but that person was standing right in front of me. The confusion was nearly palpable.

"Dante. I need you to come with me. He's brainwashed you. He's made you forget. He's made you forget who you are, where you came from…he's made you forget me."

He? Did he mean Loren? But…no, I had been with Loren for the past 4 years. He found me, during winter, huddling against the garden wall during a nasty blizzard and nearly dead. He had saved me, trained me, even tried to help me remember where I had come from. What this boy talking about?

"You're wrong, you've confused me with someone else, I don't know—" I began, but he cut me off, striding up and gripping my shoulders once, sending the oddest feeling rush across my skin.

"No, you need to look at me. Whatever block he's put on your memory, you need to find it and destroy it. I can't help you until you remember. You need to remember me Dante, remember me." He scolded, those fierce red eyes burning into mine.I needed to remember him?...Remember him….remember him…Sasuke…that's what he said his name was. I closed my eyes and searched my mind…Sasuke…Remember Sasuke….red eyes…Sharingan?...yes….dark hair…but there was another with dark hair, longer dark hair…I didn't like him….There were flashes of yellow eyes….a flash of a man with glasses…who were they?...There was a sensation of falling…of water….I was running… and then…nothing. All these thoughts, and flashes of people I didn't know, pieces of events I don't remember having taken place, they flashed wildly through my mind, but I didn't care about those things, I needed to find Sasuke. He knew me, he wasn't lying, I could feel it, and I knew him.

No matter how hard I tried to remember, I always hit a black wall, like some kind of barrier in my mind, and I knew, whatever was behind that barrier was what I was looking for. I just needed to find a way to tear it down.

I had found her. Finally. However, I couldn't just waltz up to the estate and demand that he give her back. I didn't even think she knew who she was any longer. She hadn't seemed like any kind of prisoner I could think of. When I looked into those golden eyes, another person looked back at me, she wasn't the Dante I remembered. There was so much missing. Her eyes had been devoid of any kind of emotion, they were empty and hard. Her face and body and changed, they were more refined, her hair was longer, wilder. It was like she had aged two years in the space of two weeks. Just what had her captors done to her?

I stared after her until she disappeared into the house and then made my way back to the town to figure what I was going to do. Taking a seat in a window sill in a shadowy alley way, and dispelled the jutsu.

This man, or whoever it was that had her, had taken her from me for reasons I had yet to discover. This person was the leader of these organ traffickers and in business with the Daimyou who was probably in it for his own ends. They ran this whole operation under the table, selling organs on the black market for profit. But why take Dante and keep her alive? What special purpose did she hold? I realized I didn't much care, all I cared about was retrieving Dante and returning to Sound, enough was enough. I had about six months before the transformation jutsu was to take place and time was not something I needed to continue to waste. I'd storm that damn estate and pull it apart piece by piece if I had to.

Leaping from my perch, I realized I didn't have to. Here she came, walking fast and unnoticed, heading my way. Just as she passed by my hiding spot, the last rays of sunlight disappeared and I reached out, pulled her into the alley, and pinned her against the wall. At first she resisted, but the moment she looked into my Sharingan, she ceased her fighting.

"Dante?" I asked, expecting her to cry or shout at my appearance, but she did neither. Instead she was looking at me in shock and confusion.

"Who are you?" She whispered, and my jaw clenched. She didn't know who I was. So I pulled us free of the darkness, where she could see my face clearly, but to no avail. There was no spark of recognition on her face, only more confusion.

"Who are you?" She asked again, her eyes searching my own.

"It's me Dante, it's Sasuke." I said, how could she not remember me? It'd had only been two weeks. What in the hell happened to her?

She didn't reply, all she did was stare at me. She was looking at me like she had seen me before but couldn't remember where.

"Don't you remember? What has he done to you?" I questioned, but realized she probably didn't know, whatever he had done, he had altered her memories or blocked them altogether. How I would find and destroy a memory block when she was immune to my Sharingan, I didn't know. This was something that she was going to have to do.

She only shook her head, I needed to know what he had done to her. I needed to take her back to sound, Kaeda had experience with memory jutsu before, she'd be able to remove to block.

"Dante, I need you to come with me. He's put a memory block on you, he's made you forget. He's made you forget who you are; where you came from…he's made you forget me." I told her, I didn't know if she'd listen to me, but if she didn't, I could always just knock her out. I didn't know why this person had taken her and I didn't care. I needed to get her back to Sound, where she belonged.

"You're wrong. You've confused me with someone else, I don't know—"

"No." I interrupted, stepping over and grabbing her by shoulders again "You need to look at me. Whatever block he's put on your memory, you need to find it and destroy it. I can't help you until you remember. You need to remember me Dante. Remember me."

She looked at me with wide eyes before casting her gaze down and closing them. She was trying, if she couldn't find the block on her own, I'd have to knock her out and take her back to sound and if this person came after her, I'd just have to take care of him.

For going on thirty minutes we stood there, her eyes closed and my hands on her shoulders. And I waited. Hoping she'd be able to find the block and destroy it. I didn't want to have to harm her, but if there was no other way…

And then her head snapped up and she opened her eyes, and looked right into mine. She had found it.

"Sasuke." She mouthed and her eyes filled with tears before she threw her arms around my neck hugged me tightly. I stood there for a moment before taking hold of her arms and pulling them from my neck.

"I'm sorry, I didn't…he...I…" She stumbled, she was obviously too confused and too overwhelmed to form any kind of understandable sentence, so I interrupted.

"I understand but we need to leave. We can't stay here any longer, they might come looking for you."

She wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded, glaring at the ground, and trembling slightly.

"Can you run?"

She nodded and pulled the cloak tighter around her body.

"I'll be fine, let's just go please."

All the emotion had drained from her voice, and she looked up at me with steely eyes. I nodded, jumped onto the roof of a tailor's shop and from there made my way into the trees, glancing back to make sure she was behind me. She followed close, but not too close, keeping her eyes shut. How she knew where to land with her eyes closed I wasn't quite sure, but I knew it had something to do with her sensory ability, and I wondered for a second if she had made any progress with it.

Now that I had her, I was overcome with relief, the mission was finally accomplished and things could begin to move forward again, but I had a feeling these organ traffickers and their leader would be letting her go so easily.


	16. Chapter 15

Days and weeks passed without event. The journey back to Sound was quick and uneventful. Sasuke and I barely spoke, as was his usual behavior but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to talk to him. I felt so…confused, angry and lost. I no longer knew who I was and I could no longer trust myself. I felt as though I had betrayed him, and all the apologies I had worked out sat behind my teeth, unsaid. How could I explain anything to him when I couldn't even explain it to myself? Who was I? Why had this happened? Why couldn't I get past it?

The false memories Loren had drilled into my conscious still remained, jumbled with the real memories from my arrival in Sound and my brief stay training with Sasuke. I remembered everything, yet I felt completely separate. As if two different people were living within me. One of them a sarcastic smart alec who was in love with her mentor and the other a cold, heartless machine that killed without regard, nothing more than a weapon. Which one was I? How could I ever return to the way I was? The sad truth? I wouldn't. The experience was simply too difficult to forget about, or to push away. I would forever be a mix of my two experiences, not entirely one or the other, but a hybrid of both personalities. My lightheadedness had disappeared, replaced with a grave solemnness. My constant chatter had ceased into distant thoughtfulness. I no longer smiled as much as I used to and laughing was even sparser. I no longer wore my emotions on my sleeve or really ever displayed them; I took in everything, but betrayed nothing. I had become as unreadable and passive as the one I adored.

Sasuke had noticed the differences; however he refrained from speaking about them, which wasn't surprising. He wasn't one to talk about feelings. Often times I would catch him staring intently, as if trying to figure was what going through my head, but respectful enough to let me have my space and smart enough to know that I would talk when I was ready, if I was ever ready. During the day we traveled and at night we camped, in no hurry to return to Orochimaru. When I wasn't gathering fire wood or water, I was staring into the fire, losing myself in the unique kind of all-over warmth that only fire could provide. At certain times, if I lost myself far enough, it was almost as if I could hear it speak to me. The words strange and soft, but still understandable. The third night out, was the first time it really addressed me.

"Little one. Need not worry." It would say, speaking as a father to a child. The voice was never more than a whisper, and seemingly only audible to me, if Sasuke noticed it, he didn't show it. I heard the voice not in my ears, but in my mind itself.

"How is it that you can talk? You're…fire."

There was a procession of sizzles and crackles, which I quickly realized was laughter.

"Fire is a name you humans have given me. But just as the water and trees have sprits, so do I."

I hadn't been all that astounded but I still found it quite remarkable that I was having a conversation with a camp fire.

"Wow. I didn't know…How come I've never heard of anyone speaking to fire before?"

Next there was a small moment of silence before my friend spoke again.

"There is something special about you Little One, an acute awareness to things beyond yourself. You can perceive the energies that others cannot. There are many kinds of energy in this world, some brighter than others. There is the energy chakra exudes, which is strong enough that many can see and feel it, then there is emotional energy which your kind calls auras, then there is mental energy that your 'psychics' are akin to , then there is the energy that death leaves behind which only a handful can sense, but cannot fully see or interact with because it is only the remains of what once was, and then Little One, there is the energy that Life itself gives off, which is very faint and very complex. This is the energy that you feel, in your very body. I am a living spirit, the spirit of warmth and light, which is why you and I can converse. You are open my energy where all others are closed off. My being a spirit and my life force vibrating at an incredibly fast speed, it is quite a wonder you can feel it at all and that makes you quite powerful." He told me.

At this I smiled. I had been told my skills were never seen before and that it was the energy of life that I felt in my skin, however I never thought it'd be strong enough to feel spirits.

"How come I've never felt a spirit before? Is it because my 'training' with Loren?" I asked him.

"Oh but you have felt a spirit before, myself, as a matter of fact. Do you remember the day you arrived in Otogakure? When you put your hand into the candle flame? It was then that you felt me, and every time you've come in contact with fire since then, you have always felt my presence, you just hadn't realized quite what it was that you were feeling yet and neither did I make myself known because you were not yet ready."

It made so much sense, I knew what I had felt with the fire had been strange but I never would've imagined it was the spirit of fire itself. I was confused, yet I understood at the same time. There were still complexities that I didn't understand, but asking him to explain them all would take forever. There were certain things that just needed to remain mysteries, they were there for a purpose and balance had always been kept, that's all that mattered. Knowing exactly how it was kept needed to stay with the spirits and Gods.

"You said I wasn't ready before, what makes me ready now?"

I wasn't sure, but it was almost as if I could feel him smile, if a fire could even smile.

"Because Little One, you've been through quite the ordeal and very simply, you needed me. You've been very lost and you are unsure of yourself, but let me assure you are not your mistakes and you are not what your enemies make you. Who you are goes much deeper than that, too deep that I cannot explain it in a way that you can understand, you are simply going to have to take my word. I have watched you since you arrived here, and I will continue to watch over you. You feel as though you have betrayed this boy, Sasuke, but do not feel this way because you have done no such thing. He may not express a whole lot, but he understands and let me tell you, when you were taken he was quite torn up about it."

The fire spirit paused for a moment, and I looked at Sasuke over the fire, he was laying on his side, his back to me, the shadows of the fire dancing on his back.

"The boy is very shuttered and distant. He is very cold and driven by dark desires. There is darkness around him, which may seem to encompass him completely at times, and at times it does, which is only appropriate considering the tragedies that haunt him. The boy has aspirations to kill his kin, but I am afraid he will find no solace in revenge, no soul does. However there are many things that this boy does not know or understand, but in time, he will, and it will nearly destroy him….and that is why he needs you…to be the light in the darkness, to show him the way when he becomes lost, even when you feel you are lost yourself. In time he will become weak and he will succumb to his demons, and you must stand and be strong for the both you. I think you already know this."

Again the spirit paused in thoughtfulness.

"No matter how many times he denied and denies it to himself, he does care for you, I can feel it in the fire that blazes in his heart. He is slow to realize and accept it, but you must give him time. He will not acknowledge it for some time I'm afraid, until the darkness has been cleared away and he has time to assess the emotions of which he's blocked since he was young, but that is how he is. You understand."

I smiled and nodded. Listening to the fire spirit instilled in me a peace I hadn't felt in what seemed like an eternity. He gave me the understanding I had craved and I was infinitely grateful and felt admiration and thankfulness that I was able to speak with him and I hoped he would remain with me for as long as I lived.

"Yes, I understand, but, there is one more question I have for you, and I hope you can answer it."

"I can do my best Little One."

"I have always known where the path that Sasuke follows would take him, and I have always known how things would turn out, but I can't help but wonder if….if things would still go the same if I were to accompany him. I mean, the future I saw has occurred without my presence ever being here, and I don't want to endanger that."

He was silent for a few moments, in thought.

"Dear Little One, you are not going to like my answer, but you have asked and so I must tell you. Your presence thus far has altered very little, not enough to change what is to be. However if you accompany Sasuke on his journey to find Itachi, the odds that he will win are very low though not completely against him. To defeat Itachi he must have no distractions from his goal, his anger is what fuels him and if that begins to recede and he faces Itachi… the outcome will be…unfortunate."

I could feel the cold wind of despair sweep through me. I would not…could not stay with Sasuke for very much longer. If I did he would fail and it would be my fault and I would never forgive myself. As much as it pained me, I knew what the fire spirit said to be true.

"I am sorry my dear Jin. I wish the answer had been different."

His voice was full of sorrow and concern but I was not angry with him, he had only answered my question with honesty and for that I was grateful.

I turned my gaze back to Sasuke's sleeping form. Already, the pain of having to leave him burned in my chest, as though someone had lit a match beneath my rib cage. Where I would go when I left I had no clue. Being without him scared me to death because he had been my beginning here, he was what was familiar and with him I felt safe. The pain of practically losing the one you love is commonly known to everyone. But I needed to put aside my feelings and let him do what he needed to do.

I had told myself I would do whatever it takes to help him realize his dream and if that meant leaving him and removing myself from his life, then so be it. I would not sacrifice the achievement of his dreams for my feelings. Pain is not but a compromise.

"No, I knew the answer and I've accepted it. I've suspected for a while that Sasuke's revenge would not be possible with me by his side. But the thought of that Karin witch putting her hands all over him infuriates me."

Again there was the series of sizzles and crackles as the spirit laughed.

"I wouldn't worry about her. I hope with all my being that things will work out, but I must tell you now that the future is not certain and there is a chance that Sasuke will fall so deep within darkness that not even you will be able to rescue him and his fate from there is dim. You know as well as I do, if somebody as powerful as Sasuke is completely consumed body and soul by darkness, he will be too dangerous and too much of a threat to be allowed to continue living and the five nations will take action. Now the question is, will you be able to stand aside and let them do what needs be done for the well-being of the world?"

I frowned and cast my gaze down. This one I would have to think about. I firmly believed I could save him from going too far but…that was all up to Sasuke. Would he really fall deeper in the black depths of darkness when he learned the truth about Itachi? When he pursues and kills Danzo? Will he truly be so enveloped in darkness that he will attempt to destroy the place he once called home? The future I knew of said yes, but like the fire spirit said, the future is not certain, there was a chance I could reach him before he falls past the point of no return. But should I fail…will I be able to watch them kill Sasuke? I pursed my lips and closed my eyes, even the thought of watching him die filled me with such sadness that I could not bear it, and so the answer was no. As much as I understood and knew what the right thing to do was, I would not stand aside and let them do it. I cared for him too much, no matter how corrupt and dark he could become.

I knew there would be no choice when it came to eliminating him, he would pose a huge threat to the ninja world should he give in to the darkness but that didn't mean I wouldn't stand by his side until the very end. That's what loyalty is and that's what love is, you endure and stand firm no matter what. You give all you have even if you get nothing in return. Until the end.

I just hope I'll be able to reach him in time should the worst happen. I will need to time my return to him just right, preferably just after he kills Itachi, so that I can be there when Madara reveals the truth. I would need as much time as I could get to sift through the darkness, to the boy within, and pull him free of it. It would difficult but I had no other option.

"Truthfully? No, I would not stand aside and watch him die, I couldn't handle it. Either I save him, or I die by his side."

I felt the fire spirit smile once more, except this was more of a sad, understanding smile.

"You are very loyal dear Jin, and your affection for the boy is great. Many would have said the opposite of what you just did. They would deem it the right decision, killing one to save thousands and putting it that way, it seems almost wrong to choose the other. However, love is a very powerful thing. To betray the one you love, that is the worst crime of all."

I nodded in agreement. Now all that was left was to return to Sound and plan my escape. Getting out of Oto without Sasuke or Orochimaru knowing seemed impossible, but I decided I would consult Kaeda, and I knew the fire spirit would aid me as well.

"Well my dear Jin, you need to get some sleep, from here it is a straight shot to Otogakure and you have planning to do if you are to leave without notice. We will speak soon."

I smiled.

"Wait, you keep calling me Jin, why?" I asked, I noticed the name before, but was too caught up in our conversation to address it before now.

"Oh, it's your name of course, the name you were given when you arrived here."

"What does it mean?"

"Jin means many things, but for you it simply means 'gold' for your eyes of course, among other things like heart, mind and virtue."

I smiled again. It was perfect.

"Thank you again fire spirit. Before we part, what's your name?"

"My name is Atatakasaotekiyosurumono. It means one who provides warmth. But you may call me Ka."

"That's a wonderful name Ka, and thank you for everything."

"You're welcome Little One, very welcome."

And with that there was silence. The fire still felt the same, but I knew his presence had gone elsewhere. I laid on my side, and gazed into the fire until the heaviness of sleep overtake me.

I did not tell Sasuke of my conversation with Ka, it seemed like something to be kept to myself. Throughout the next day we traveled and made it back to sound just before nightfall.

"Orochimaru is going to want a report as soon as we return to the bunker, and I don't think we need to tell him of the jutsu that man put you under. I don't want to complicate things when we're so close to the end." Sasuke said once we crossed the border.

I nodded before replying.

"Alright. What are you going to tell him?"

"Simply that the organ traffickers kidnapped and kept you in a hideout in Fire country. I'll come up with details if need be."

I nodded again but didn't press further. My mind was not on Orochimaru or how things would proceed once things returned to normal. My mind was fully occupied with how I was going to leave and where I was going to go and how I was going to deal with it. Sasuke would be in so many dangerous and close situations, it scared me to death, even though I knew he would come out of them successful, my worry did not calm. I had to first think of how I would even get out of Oto unseen. The tunnels? No, those were to heavily guarded and I couldn't very well just walk out, even it seemed that was the only option I had. I would need to ask Kaeda and Ka for advice once I had time to myself. And knowing Sasuke would resume my training at once, I would have very little of that. Now the dilemma of where I would even go. I suppose I could find a village a hideout in until the time came to find Sasuke again, but that didn't particularly appeal to me. I still wanted to help Sasuke in any way I could, but that was hard to do when I wasn't going to be with him. Maybe I could find a way to keep an eye on the Akatsuki…but what would that do? I already knew what they were planning anyway, I wouldn't be finding anything out that I didn't already know. Or I could….No….but….I could go to Konoha…I could join their ranks, watch their plans for apprehending Sasuke. I could even maybe befriend Naruto and Sakura, it would difficult though, keeping my knowledge of Sasuke a secret. In the end I would betray them, and the thought stung, but not enough to keep me from doing it. I loved Sasuke, not them.

Once we're back inside the bunker, Sasuke turned to me.

"I know it's difficult to suppress those memories, but Orochimaru will notice any change in personality, so do your best to make him think nothing has changed. I don't need him lurking around in business that I don't want him in."

I nodded in understanding, and then followed him the snake man's lavish, tacky and completely unnecessarily decorated chambers.

When he noticed us enter, he turned from an aray of bubbling liquids in beakers and cylinders and made his way toward us, that creepy grin on his face.

"Ah! Sasuke you've found her, how delightful." He began, addressing Sasuke, who nodded with a bow and a hard gaze.

"And my dear Dante, I hope your…time away was not too troubling." He said, his yellow eyes turning to me.

"No, just….long, it's good to be back though." I replied with a smile as fake as his.

"Good, good. Sasuke, you will stay and brief me on the mission, and Dante I'm sure you could use time to bathe and clean up."

I nodded and looked at Sasuke before I bowed and left the room.

Boy was I thankful for the bath house. The hot water felt amazing and I soaked for about thirty minutes before scrubbing my hair and body free of dirt and drying off.

I hadn't realized it before, but Loren had replaced my Sound attire with black pants, and a black jacket that was much in the same fashion as my previous white once with the same knee high boots and gloves with the tips cut off. On the whole, it was simpler, and I preferred the black, I sorely hoped Orochimaru wouldn't make me change. Although I guess it really didn't matter, as my departure was fast approaching.

After exiting the baths, I bit the nail of my index finger and figured my location. Now to find Kaeda.


End file.
